By Hillary Carr
September 17 2003

A bright, warm day on which to start our new season in the Middlesex and Hertfordshire League II saw the Quins turn out with a great deal of enthusiasm and spirit after last week’s cup triumph. From the kick-off it was evident that Quins pressure disrupted the Mill Hill pattern of play and they were constantly forced back on the defensive where their full back looked decidedly suspect.

The traffic in the first few minutes was so one-way towards the Mill Hill goal line that it looked for sure that the outcome would be a foregone conclusion if we maintained the same effort and strategy throughout the entire game.

This was confirmed when after only 4 minutes Benn Richards powered his way over the Mill Hill line for a try, which was unconverted. (0-5)

If our attacking play was strong, we showed how resolute our defence was immediately after when Phil Ah-Sun made a try-saving tackle at full back. The team was looking confident.

Quins pressure told again when after 16 mins. Nick Wootton kicked a penalty to take provide a comfortable 8 pt lead.

The pack looked good in the set pieces and were regularly stealing opposition line out ball, whilst the backs were confident in attack.

And then the game turned completely on its head. Graham Coyle sustained a blood that required his immediate dispatch to hospital for stitches to a head wound, to be replaced by Brian Lowry. Graham had already made a significant impression on the game with sniping runs with the ball in attack and harassing the opposition scrum half when they had possession; his departure was a significant blow to the team.

Another ‘significant blow’ was struck five minutes later purportedly by Andy Robinson who charged up to lend his weight to a ‘handbag scuffle’ when Quins had been awarded a penalty in our favour. Those on the touchline saw a push rather than a swing with the fist but the referee deemed it sufficient to show Andy the red card and Quins needlessly lost another valuable player.

The penalty was reversed and Mill Hill kicked the 3 points. (3-8). The disruption to the Quins pack (admittedly with some playing out of position) and the whole structure of our play was immediately evident. We started to lose our own set scrums and our rucking and mauling started to slide so that our protection of the ball and scrum half suffered.

All this served to raise Mill Hill’s game and they attacked more vigorously. However our defence was firm and resolute, so that Mill Hill had to resort to kicking through to penetrate our back line.

In the 31st minute a kick and chase between a Mill Hill player and our full back led to a very hotly disputed try for Mill Hill. From the linesman’s viewpoint, the only player to touch the ball in-goal was a Quins player. The try and subsequent conversion meant that we turned around at half time down 10-8.

In the second half Quins continued the relentless pressure and for some minutes we were camped on the Mill Hill line, but failed to convert pressure into points. Mill Hill then started to tighten the screw and Quins started to go backwards, our handling became wayward with the ball being flung erratically.

Despite this, the only points of the second half were scored from a penalty to Mill Hill in the 67th minute (13-8) and our defence kept them from crossing the line, although their relentless pressure did see the opposition spill the ball at the last moment on a couple of occasions. Mill Hill then missed another penalty just on the stroke of full time.

Final score: Mill Hill 13 Harlequins Amateurs 8