Harlequins U21s defeat Worcester
By sb September 16 2002
The U21s took their campaign to new league inclusions Worcester on Saturday and came away with a 48-12 win that was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests – but, being the club’s first win of the season at 1st, 2nd, U21 and U19 XV level, let’s not knock it.
By sb September 16 2002
The U21s took their campaign to new league inclusions Worcester on Saturday and came away with a 48-12 win that was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests – but, being the club’s first win of the season at 1st, 2nd, U21 and U19 XV level, let’s not knock it.
With there being no 2nd XV game this week, the team was reinforced by backs Ugo Monye and Max Willcocks and back-rower Kai Horstmann. In addition, the game saw the first appearance of the season by last year’s skipper, prop Sam Walton. A tough game was expected from a side that only lost to Leicester 21s 29-28 two week’s ago.
The game kicked off ten minute’s late (the referee failed to arrive on time!) in bright sunshine and a gusty wind at Worcester’s attractive and well-equipped Sixways stadium. The first twenty minutes were a scrappy affair, punctuated by repeated injuries, but with the Worcester pack in the ascendant. Although dominating possession, Worcester could not break through some tenacious tackling and their only scoring effort was a penalty that slipped past the posts. A minute later, Monye showed his pace with a great break, kick and chase with a score only missed because of a forward pass. It was, however, the first time the Quins had been in the Worcester half.
In the 28th minute, a good Worcester move down the right was only denied by an unkind bounce but, from the resulting messy line out on the Quins’ 22, the ball was spun down the line to Ugo Monye who cut inside and scored on an arcing 70 metre run to the left of the posts. The conversion was missed. Score 0-5.
A somewhat fractious game was then interrupted in the 31st minute by an all out brawl between the packs which the referee missed (there being no touch judges to help). Both captains were spoken to and lock Tom Parker had to go off for running repairs (blood rep: Chris Gorbell). The line out from the resulting Quins’ penalty was lost but the ball was stolen in midfield and centre Henry Barratt darted over for another unconverted try, injuring himself in the process (rep: Ollie Phillips). Score 0-10. From the re-start, fly-half Pete Whitfield kicked downfield where the Worcester backs again coughed up the ball for full back Tom Williams to score. A Whitfield conversion took the score to 0-17 in the 36th minute.
Three minutes later, Worcester mounted a concerted attack with their scrum half being stopped a couple of metres short of the line. From the ensuing scrum, their fly-half missed with a dropped goal attempt. Shortly after, Worcester managed to mess up a four-man overlap after Quins had tried to run the ball our of their own 22 from a messy line-out. Play then swung to the Worcester end where their No. 8 was yellow carded for violent conduct and the fifty-one minute half ended with Quins being held up over the Worcester line.
Half time: Worcester 0 – Quins 17 (Parker replaced by Gorbell)
With the wind behind them, Quins soon scored again early in the second half. After a good miss move in the centre, left wing Max Willcocks ran in a try from 40 metres to score in the corner. Score 0-22.
On 12 minutes, Sam Walton was replaced at prop by Ryan Storer and, four minutes later, Worcester were on the scoreboard in somewhat lucky fashion. Fly-half Pete Whitfield was incorrectly adjudged to have knocked on a penalty kick and, from the resulting scrum, Worcester drove over from short distance. A charged down conversion left the score at 5-22. (Reps: Martin for Outen and Cracknell for King).
In the 28th minute another Worcester error allowed Willcocks to intercept on their 22 to score under the posts with Whitfield converting. Score: 5-29. Worcester pressed hard for the next five minutes and were rewarded by another controversial try when first Quins were incorrectly penalised when a Worcester player did not release the ball on the ground and then, from the resulting tap, a Worcester knock-on was ignored by an increasingly uncomfortable referee. Another drive from close in saw them score and convert. Score 12-29.
The rest of the game, however, was a lesson in finishing by Quins. First, in the 39th minute, Ollie Phillips put up a text book hanging kick to the corner from which the impressive Horstmann scored (Whitfield converted from the touch line). Score 12-36. Two minutes later Worcester were further demoralised when replacement scrum-half Ian Martin ran in a try from their 10 metre line. Pete Whitfield converted to make the score 12-43. (Reps: Hawkes for Hopkins, Osho for Monye). Then, in the 43rd minute, a Worcester attack broke down on the Quins’ 10 metre line and Whitfield kicked ahead to touch down in the corner. With his kick narrowly missing to the left, the score ended at Worcester 12 – Quins 48.
Overall, a great exhibition of running, passing and finishing but the team’s frailties in the scrummage were again exposed by a strong if limited Worcester side. The team tackled well and kept their composure in the face of some early over-physical play by the Worcester pack but the power and pace in the backs was a pleasure to see. Some players do need reminding, though, that you are allowed to kick the ball into touch when on your own line and faced with a wall of opposition players!
Team: 15 Tom Williams, 14 Max Willcocks, 13 Henry Barratt (rep Ollie Phillips), 12 Tom Allen (capt), 11 Ugo Monye (rep Dipo Osho), 10 Pete Whitfield, 9 Rob Outen (rep Ian Martin), 8 Kai Horstmann, 7 Jay King (rep Chris Cracknell), 6 Tom MacCormick, 5 Ross Hanbury, 4 Tom Parker, 3 Ben Hopkins (rep Ryan Hawkes), 2 Rob Chapman, 1 Sam Walton (rep Ryan Storer).
Note: the U19s lost a scrappy match on a neighbouring pitch 14-3.
Next game: away to London Irish (Sunbury), Friday 20th September, k.o. 7.30pm
The game kicked off ten minute’s late (the referee failed to arrive on time!) in bright sunshine and a gusty wind at Worcester’s attractive and well-equipped Sixways stadium. The first twenty minutes were a scrappy affair, punctuated by repeated injuries, but with the Worcester pack in the ascendant. Although dominating possession, Worcester could not break through some tenacious tackling and their only scoring effort was a penalty that slipped past the posts. A minute later, Monye showed his pace with a great break, kick and chase with a score only missed because of a forward pass. It was, however, the first time the Quins had been in the Worcester half.
In the 28th minute, a good Worcester move down the right was only denied by an unkind bounce but, from the resulting messy line out on the Quins’ 22, the ball was spun down the line to Ugo Monye who cut inside and scored on an arcing 70 metre run to the left of the posts. The conversion was missed. Score 0-5.
A somewhat fractious game was then interrupted in the 31st minute by an all out brawl between the packs which the referee missed (there being no touch judges to help). Both captains were spoken to and lock Tom Parker had to go off for running repairs (blood rep: Chris Gorbell). The line out from the resulting Quins’ penalty was lost but the ball was stolen in midfield and centre Henry Barratt darted over for another unconverted try, injuring himself in the process (rep: Ollie Phillips). Score 0-10. From the re-start, fly-half Pete Whitfield kicked downfield where the Worcester backs again coughed up the ball for full back Tom Williams to score. A Whitfield conversion took the score to 0-17 in the 36th minute.
Three minutes later, Worcester mounted a concerted attack with their scrum half being stopped a couple of metres short of the line. From the ensuing scrum, their fly-half missed with a dropped goal attempt. Shortly after, Worcester managed to mess up a four-man overlap after Quins had tried to run the ball our of their own 22 from a messy line-out. Play then swung to the Worcester end where their No. 8 was yellow carded for violent conduct and the fifty-one minute half ended with Quins being held up over the Worcester line.
Half time: Worcester 0 – Quins 17 (Parker replaced by Gorbell)
With the wind behind them, Quins soon scored again early in the second half. After a good miss move in the centre, left wing Max Willcocks ran in a try from 40 metres to score in the corner. Score 0-22.
On 12 minutes, Sam Walton was replaced at prop by Ryan Storer and, four minutes later, Worcester were on the scoreboard in somewhat lucky fashion. Fly-half Pete Whitfield was incorrectly adjudged to have knocked on a penalty kick and, from the resulting scrum, Worcester drove over from short distance. A charged down conversion left the score at 5-22. (Reps: Martin for Outen and Cracknell for King).
In the 28th minute another Worcester error allowed Willcocks to intercept on their 22 to score under the posts with Whitfield converting. Score: 5-29. Worcester pressed hard for the next five minutes and were rewarded by another controversial try when first Quins were incorrectly penalised when a Worcester player did not release the ball on the ground and then, from the resulting tap, a Worcester knock-on was ignored by an increasingly uncomfortable referee. Another drive from close in saw them score and convert. Score 12-29.
The rest of the game, however, was a lesson in finishing by Quins. First, in the 39th minute, Ollie Phillips put up a text book hanging kick to the corner from which the impressive Horstmann scored (Whitfield converted from the touch line). Score 12-36. Two minutes later Worcester were further demoralised when replacement scrum-half Ian Martin ran in a try from their 10 metre line. Pete Whitfield converted to make the score 12-43. (Reps: Hawkes for Hopkins, Osho for Monye). Then, in the 43rd minute, a Worcester attack broke down on the Quins’ 10 metre line and Whitfield kicked ahead to touch down in the corner. With his kick narrowly missing to the left, the score ended at Worcester 12 – Quins 48.
Overall, a great exhibition of running, passing and finishing but the team’s frailties in the scrummage were again exposed by a strong if limited Worcester side. The team tackled well and kept their composure in the face of some early over-physical play by the Worcester pack but the power and pace in the backs was a pleasure to see. Some players do need reminding, though, that you are allowed to kick the ball into touch when on your own line and faced with a wall of opposition players!
Team: 15 Tom Williams, 14 Max Willcocks, 13 Henry Barratt (rep Ollie Phillips), 12 Tom Allen (capt), 11 Ugo Monye (rep Dipo Osho), 10 Pete Whitfield, 9 Rob Outen (rep Ian Martin), 8 Kai Horstmann, 7 Jay King (rep Chris Cracknell), 6 Tom MacCormick, 5 Ross Hanbury, 4 Tom Parker, 3 Ben Hopkins (rep Ryan Hawkes), 2 Rob Chapman, 1 Sam Walton (rep Ryan Storer).
Note: the U19s lost a scrappy match on a neighbouring pitch 14-3.
Next game: away to London Irish (Sunbury), Friday 20th September, k.o. 7.30pm
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