Victory over Saracens in the final pre-season
By The Prof September 6 2003
This was to be Quins’ final pre-season match before taking on London Wasps next Saturday, this was probably the reason why some Wasps players and management were watching.
By The Prof September 6 2003
This was to be Quins’ final pre-season match before taking on London Wasps next Saturday, this was probably the reason why some Wasps players and management were watching.
The Quins side looked pretty much the team we would be starting with next Saturday:
15. Gavin Duffy
14. George Harder
13. Josh Taumalolo
12. Andy Reay
11. Ugo Monye
10. Paul Burke
9. Ben Willis
1. Mike Worsley
2. James Hayter
3. Jon Dawson
4. Bill Davison
5. Simon Miall
6. Pat Sanderson
7. Andre Vos (Capt.)
8. Tony Diprose
Replacements:
16. Ace Tiatia
17. Ceri Jones
18. Jim Evans
19. Roy Winters
20. Simon Keogh
21. Andy Dunne
22. Matt Moore
Saracens came onto the pitch in their changed strip which was mostly white, whether this was because the game was being played under floodlights or if it was just an away strip I don’t know but let’s just hope we don’t see Quins doing the same.
Miall took the restart but Sarries came in and knocked on giving Quins the first scrum of the game. Straight away the Saracens front row were in trouble and a free kick was awarded to Quins. It was taken quickly and George Harder made the first attack of the game, it took a few defenders to get him down and a penalty was awarded to Quins for hands in the ruck. Burke put the three points on the board in the first minute. 3-0, 1 min.
A long clearance kick by Burke was caught by speedster Haughton who ran back before being tackled on the halfway line, Quins infringed at the ruck and Sarries had a penalty which Goode kicked to touch. But the ball was caught by Duffy who returned the kick but did not find touch and Saracens attacked they moved the ball left and Sparks (who was to have a dire time in the tight) had a good run before losing the ball in a tackle and Quins attacked. The ball was moved left before an infringement gave Quins a penalty about 30m from our own line.
Burke kicked to touch about 35m out and the ball was thrown to Davison at the front of the line out and a rolling maul was set up. Saracens players came offside multiple times but the referee (Ashley Rowden) was blind to it. The ball was lost and Sarries fly hacked it downfield for it to be picked up by Duffy and cleared. Ace came on as a blood replacement for Hayter.
There was some more good play at the scrum with Dawson giving Sparks a torrid time and a good half break by Reay from a lineout throw to Diprose before a penalty was awarded to Quins for handling on the floor again, Burke kicked it from about 38 yards. 6-0, 11 mins.
Saracens attacked after the restart, they sent the ball right and Johnston received a great pass from Sorrell, sadly for him he also received a crunching tackle from josh Taumalolo and the ball was knocked from his hands and the wind was knocked from his lungs. The ball didn’t go forward and Sarries recollected it with Goode chipping the ball through to chase and recollect well and with only the full back to beat things didn’t look good until Duffy pulled off a good defensive tackle which lead to a scrum to Quins. Winters came on as a blood replacement for Sanderson.
Sarries attacked and the ball was sent wide to Haughton who was tackled into touch by Ugo Monye. The throw went to Miall and a rolling maul was set up, the ball was then released to Monye on the short side and he made good ground up the left wing before the ball was sent right to Ace who made yards and passed over the top of the tackler to Miall who charged forward before offloading to Reay who passed to Harder who had three defenders in front of him on the right wing and he used his skill and guile to use a Samoan sidestep to power through Castaignede to score. Burke had a kick from right on the touch line but slotted it well. 13-0, 19 mins.
Soon after the restart Taumalolo hobbled off after receiving treatment to a leg injury on the pitch and he was replaced by Moore who went to the wing allowing Harder to come into the centre. A Sarries lineout was taken before Moore was in position and that left space in midfield where Andy Goode made the most of it to go between Winters and Vos to score between the posts, he converted his own try. 13-7, 23 mins. Sanderson returned and Winters went off.
Miall took a lineout well again and the ball was sent left by Willis through Harder to Monye who sprinted round Haughton and went in in the corner. Burke missed the conversion from wide out on the left. 18-7, 24 minutes.
There was some messy play from both sides but Saracens staged a great broken field attack which looked certain to produce points but Haughton was tackled into touch in the corner.
Quins were awarded a penalty 40m out in the centre of the pitch which Burke slotted well, 21-7, 32 mins.
Quins had much of the ball for the rest of the half and Sarries gave a penalty away for hands in the ruck again. The tap was taken and the ball sent to Ace who broke before passing to Harder who scored again, Burke’s kick was good. 28-7, 42 mins.
Sarries were awarded a penalty just on half time which was slotted by Goode from 20m out. 28-10, HT.
The second half was very messy from a Quins point of view, it felt like Saracens had all the possession and Quins had a lot of tackling practice for 40 minutes.
Ugo tried to go round Haughton and looked like he was going to do it but he lost the ball as he tried to fend his opposite number off.
Ace was warned for not using his arms in the tackle but was not binned. Ugo was pulled off by the management and was replaced by Simon Keogh. Duffy went off soon after with a leg injury to be replaced by Andy Dunne.
Another good attack from Miall, Vos and Worsley was going well before the ball was lost on the ground.
Saracens were awarded a penalty 40m out for offside on the opposite side of the field from the action. Goode kicked it. 28-13.
Haughton attacked down the right a few times but each time he was tackled by Keogh who showed good defence.
Miall, Sanderson and Worsley were all pulled off to be replaced by Evans, Winters and Jones. Saracens were making quite a few substitutions too and this didn't help the game get any less messy.
The Quins scrum continued to give Saracens trouble and most Saracens scrums were disrupted well.
Saracens attacked well up the left and the ball was sent back to the centre where a last ditched tackle by Jones stopped Saracens scoring within inches of the line. They were awarded a scrum which was wheeled giving Quins the put in which allowed the pressure to be released.
Saracens continued to have the vast majority of possession and Quins did a lot of good defensive work.
Saracens had a good attack up the left which was stopped with some big tackling from Ace and Miall and the ball cleared to touch. Saracens set up a rolling maul from the line out and approached the Quins line. The defending side was deemed to have pulled it down and a penalty try was awarded, Sarries tried to take a quick tap – DUR! The conversion was good. 28-20, 40 mins.
The final few minutes were in possession of Quins, at one point the ball was messily sent to Harder in the centre who was facing the wrong way when he caught it – he also received a full power tackle from Johnston but Harder just stood there as if he hadn’t noticed.
The game ended 28-20.
Credit must go to John Kingston for the way the Quins front row destroyed their opposition with Jon Dawson being the pick of the bunch. Miall, Davison, Evans and Diprose all did well in the line out and Ace’s throwing looked very good. Harder looked to be a fantastic signing, he’s fast, committed and it always takes two or three to stop him. Ugo looked very very sharp and he will certainly have a starting place on the wing next week.
The downside was the increasing injury list with Taumalolo, Duffy and Hayter all going off. Our back line is looking a bit thin now with Deane, Bell, Taumalolo, Duffy and Barratt all injured now and Greenwood heading out to Australia. Reay looked good and Harder is a good centre.
Although Codling was on the team sheet he didn’t play – one wonders why. The stand out players for Saracens were definitely Goode and Raiwalui.
The pre-seasons are over, let battle commence!
15. Gavin Duffy
14. George Harder
13. Josh Taumalolo
12. Andy Reay
11. Ugo Monye
10. Paul Burke
9. Ben Willis
1. Mike Worsley
2. James Hayter
3. Jon Dawson
4. Bill Davison
5. Simon Miall
6. Pat Sanderson
7. Andre Vos (Capt.)
8. Tony Diprose
Replacements:
16. Ace Tiatia
17. Ceri Jones
18. Jim Evans
19. Roy Winters
20. Simon Keogh
21. Andy Dunne
22. Matt Moore
Saracens came onto the pitch in their changed strip which was mostly white, whether this was because the game was being played under floodlights or if it was just an away strip I don’t know but let’s just hope we don’t see Quins doing the same.
Miall took the restart but Sarries came in and knocked on giving Quins the first scrum of the game. Straight away the Saracens front row were in trouble and a free kick was awarded to Quins. It was taken quickly and George Harder made the first attack of the game, it took a few defenders to get him down and a penalty was awarded to Quins for hands in the ruck. Burke put the three points on the board in the first minute. 3-0, 1 min.
A long clearance kick by Burke was caught by speedster Haughton who ran back before being tackled on the halfway line, Quins infringed at the ruck and Sarries had a penalty which Goode kicked to touch. But the ball was caught by Duffy who returned the kick but did not find touch and Saracens attacked they moved the ball left and Sparks (who was to have a dire time in the tight) had a good run before losing the ball in a tackle and Quins attacked. The ball was moved left before an infringement gave Quins a penalty about 30m from our own line.
Burke kicked to touch about 35m out and the ball was thrown to Davison at the front of the line out and a rolling maul was set up. Saracens players came offside multiple times but the referee (Ashley Rowden) was blind to it. The ball was lost and Sarries fly hacked it downfield for it to be picked up by Duffy and cleared. Ace came on as a blood replacement for Hayter.
There was some more good play at the scrum with Dawson giving Sparks a torrid time and a good half break by Reay from a lineout throw to Diprose before a penalty was awarded to Quins for handling on the floor again, Burke kicked it from about 38 yards. 6-0, 11 mins.
Saracens attacked after the restart, they sent the ball right and Johnston received a great pass from Sorrell, sadly for him he also received a crunching tackle from josh Taumalolo and the ball was knocked from his hands and the wind was knocked from his lungs. The ball didn’t go forward and Sarries recollected it with Goode chipping the ball through to chase and recollect well and with only the full back to beat things didn’t look good until Duffy pulled off a good defensive tackle which lead to a scrum to Quins. Winters came on as a blood replacement for Sanderson.
Sarries attacked and the ball was sent wide to Haughton who was tackled into touch by Ugo Monye. The throw went to Miall and a rolling maul was set up, the ball was then released to Monye on the short side and he made good ground up the left wing before the ball was sent right to Ace who made yards and passed over the top of the tackler to Miall who charged forward before offloading to Reay who passed to Harder who had three defenders in front of him on the right wing and he used his skill and guile to use a Samoan sidestep to power through Castaignede to score. Burke had a kick from right on the touch line but slotted it well. 13-0, 19 mins.
Soon after the restart Taumalolo hobbled off after receiving treatment to a leg injury on the pitch and he was replaced by Moore who went to the wing allowing Harder to come into the centre. A Sarries lineout was taken before Moore was in position and that left space in midfield where Andy Goode made the most of it to go between Winters and Vos to score between the posts, he converted his own try. 13-7, 23 mins. Sanderson returned and Winters went off.
Miall took a lineout well again and the ball was sent left by Willis through Harder to Monye who sprinted round Haughton and went in in the corner. Burke missed the conversion from wide out on the left. 18-7, 24 minutes.
There was some messy play from both sides but Saracens staged a great broken field attack which looked certain to produce points but Haughton was tackled into touch in the corner.
Quins were awarded a penalty 40m out in the centre of the pitch which Burke slotted well, 21-7, 32 mins.
Quins had much of the ball for the rest of the half and Sarries gave a penalty away for hands in the ruck again. The tap was taken and the ball sent to Ace who broke before passing to Harder who scored again, Burke’s kick was good. 28-7, 42 mins.
Sarries were awarded a penalty just on half time which was slotted by Goode from 20m out. 28-10, HT.
The second half was very messy from a Quins point of view, it felt like Saracens had all the possession and Quins had a lot of tackling practice for 40 minutes.
Ugo tried to go round Haughton and looked like he was going to do it but he lost the ball as he tried to fend his opposite number off.
Ace was warned for not using his arms in the tackle but was not binned. Ugo was pulled off by the management and was replaced by Simon Keogh. Duffy went off soon after with a leg injury to be replaced by Andy Dunne.
Another good attack from Miall, Vos and Worsley was going well before the ball was lost on the ground.
Saracens were awarded a penalty 40m out for offside on the opposite side of the field from the action. Goode kicked it. 28-13.
Haughton attacked down the right a few times but each time he was tackled by Keogh who showed good defence.
Miall, Sanderson and Worsley were all pulled off to be replaced by Evans, Winters and Jones. Saracens were making quite a few substitutions too and this didn't help the game get any less messy.
The Quins scrum continued to give Saracens trouble and most Saracens scrums were disrupted well.
Saracens attacked well up the left and the ball was sent back to the centre where a last ditched tackle by Jones stopped Saracens scoring within inches of the line. They were awarded a scrum which was wheeled giving Quins the put in which allowed the pressure to be released.
Saracens continued to have the vast majority of possession and Quins did a lot of good defensive work.
Saracens had a good attack up the left which was stopped with some big tackling from Ace and Miall and the ball cleared to touch. Saracens set up a rolling maul from the line out and approached the Quins line. The defending side was deemed to have pulled it down and a penalty try was awarded, Sarries tried to take a quick tap – DUR! The conversion was good. 28-20, 40 mins.
The final few minutes were in possession of Quins, at one point the ball was messily sent to Harder in the centre who was facing the wrong way when he caught it – he also received a full power tackle from Johnston but Harder just stood there as if he hadn’t noticed.
The game ended 28-20.
Credit must go to John Kingston for the way the Quins front row destroyed their opposition with Jon Dawson being the pick of the bunch. Miall, Davison, Evans and Diprose all did well in the line out and Ace’s throwing looked very good. Harder looked to be a fantastic signing, he’s fast, committed and it always takes two or three to stop him. Ugo looked very very sharp and he will certainly have a starting place on the wing next week.
The downside was the increasing injury list with Taumalolo, Duffy and Hayter all going off. Our back line is looking a bit thin now with Deane, Bell, Taumalolo, Duffy and Barratt all injured now and Greenwood heading out to Australia. Reay looked good and Harder is a good centre.
Although Codling was on the team sheet he didn’t play – one wonders why. The stand out players for Saracens were definitely Goode and Raiwalui.
The pre-seasons are over, let battle commence!
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