19-6 down at one stage, playing against a classy Wasps side, the team showed enormous spirit and belief in front of a vociferous crowd to take the game by the scruff of the neck and snatch it back - and deservedly so. This was sort of game that a solid, no-nonsense, club ought to win at home - i.e. just the sort of game that in the last few years we've almost always lost.  No wonder the crowd celebrated so loudly.

The match  was massively exciting, and in many ways a typical first-game-of-the-season affair with both teams fired up and hungry for victory, playing some, exciting rugby, but with some terribly error strewn moments from both sides, as new combinations settled in, and new moves first saw the light of competitive day.

The day promised a lot as your intrepid reporter sank into his seat - the sun was shining and the ground was buzzing with something of a party atmosphere. It was a shame that your reporter was still dry and alcohol free, having abandoned attempts to get a drink at both the East Stand Bar and the new IPA tent.

On the hand it was heartening to notice how overwhelmingly the Quins shirts outnumbered the opposition shirts at a local-ish Derby.  "Well of course", you say... but I can remember that it wasn't like that just a few years ago.

Anyway, 2.45 rolled around and the game kicked off, Dave Pearson and his touch judges resplendent in magenta and black outfits. It has to be said the Quins didn't start well, we gained an early penalty which Burkey missed (did the ball fall off the tee?) but apart from that we weren't really in with a shout for the first 30 minutes.

Harder impressed me right from the start in his attacking play - amazing how he can make seven metres with five attackers hanging from his shoulders - but defensively he and Reay seemed to be all over the place at the start. With the full-back's shirt being filled by Dunne playing out of position (Duffy earlier failing a fitness test) I was worried,  but in fact Dunne rose admirably to the occasion and hardly put a foot wrong all game.

Harder tackles (Simon Jones)

It was unlucky for him therefore that after just six minutes he was faced with a long kick and a whacky bounce that allowed Voyce to gather and run over for a try. 0-7. Dunne was unlucky - but did he also hesitate?

Burke soon grabbed three points, but this was matched by Wasps to make it 3-10, after which a Burke drop goal brought us back within 4 points: 6-10.

Then calamity struck: Ace had been on fire and playing with his customary aggression and drive, but suddenly lost control again - emerging from the edge of a ruck in an angry mood - the TV replay  clearly showing a great swing at one of the Wasps team. Yellow card, and Ace trudged back to the bench clearly unhappy.

Ace binned (Haribos)

Now, Wasps are not a team you want to be playing 14 against 15, and sure enough we suffered without him, shipping nine points while he was off to make it 6-19, with Quins fortunate indeed that in the same 10 minute period  Wasps were denied by the video ref a try that seemed clear (and which I am sure would have been given if Pearson had had to make the decision alone).

30 minutes had gone by now and really it had been Wasps all the way. This was the sort of situation in which - in the past - we've seen Quins teams give up and rollover - but today was different.  Ace came back onto the field and the importance of his sin-bin was underlined by the way that we immediately got back in the game. A long kick from Burke for Harder and Ugo to chase led to an attacking line out, and a penalty our way. 9-19.

Wasps restarted and messed up the ensuing lineout, turning over the ball to Quins.

Wasps overthrow (Simon Jones)

Another great break form Harder got the ball back to Burke who lofted it across the field to a waiting posse of Quins players. Sanderson got his hand to it, and Ugo went over for the try. 

Ugo's try (Simon Jones)

16-19 at half time, and it seemed to me we had the edge.

After the game Mark Evans said he thought the whole game was summed up in the goal line stand that we made at the start of the second half. Wasps started strongly but we held on, were well organised, and defended strongly to hold them at bay until suddenly, out of nowhere, Reay received the ball inside his own 22 and broke through with Ugo on his shoulder.

Suddenly free Reay really had just options - hoof it up the pitch for Ugo to chase - or just offload it to him. Naturally he did neither and made 60m on his own as the wing covered Ugo and the Wasps defence dithered.  Eventually he was caught and passed - rather too late - and Ugo was caught.  Diprose and Dunne were there to tidy up however and Dunne scored.  We'd come from 6-19 to 23-19.   Wasp made it 23-24 chasing a bouncing ball kicked though, after which  a penalty for Quins regained us the lead - 26-24, and it was game on.

Wasps missed a penalty which was gathered by Diprose who kicked for touch himself from under the posts - successfully! We endured another bout of Wasps pressure until Burke (who was having a great game by now) kicked through the Wasps line, re-gathered and threw a long pas to Reay.  Reay offloaded to Ugo and - as Mark Evans said - once Ugo has the ball with some space you don't catch him. Might as well turn the lights off and go home. He's quick. 33-24. A last minute penalty made it 33-27 and earned Wasps the bonus point- but the win was ours...
After the game (Haribos)

So what can we learn? Ugo looked excellent and he's a real crowd pleaser. After the game he was all the journo's wanted to talk about but Mark would say no more than that he is 'promising' confirming that Ugo will be released for the sevens again this season.

Harder seemed to me to live up to his billing as signing of the season. In attack he was excellent making break after break. Defensively less convincing, but perhaps this was lack of back-line organisation.

The star of the backs was actually Paul Burke, but Reay was another player marked out in my notebook, and the back row were very tidy.

Reay  (Haribos)

It's magic to see Sanderson back on the pitch, and Vos always delivers. Miall is also looking a more than capable replacement for Codling

Miall in action (Haribos)

In all a good day at the office, and a job well done. Gatland was disappointed, but I was delighted to hear him refer to Quins as 'a team that's tricky to beat at home' not many people have said that in recent years. When we played Wasps last season, he said, they weren't really up for it either time - on both occasions assuming an easy victory. This time they'd trained hard and really wanted to win.

So, a great start to the season. In the bar I mate told me he'd got 60-1 on Quins being top of the league after 5 games. I doubt you'll get those odds on Monday...

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