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Harlequin Amateurs beat Kilburn Cosmos
By Hillary Carr September 14 2004
After the storming victory by 72 points in their Powergen Vase match the previous Saturday, the Amateurs had to refocus their objectives facing their first league opposition, Kilburn, in the newly created Herts and Middx Division 2 South. Won 24-3.

The air of confidence (but not complacency) with which Amateurs started, was reassuring to see given the poor start to last season’s league programme. The Amateurs immediately took the game to Kilburn, which paid dividends after just 6 minutes when Phil Thompson broke through the defence to put the Amateurs ahead, the try converted by the captain Ross Webster.

The Amateurs on the break ©H.Carr
The Amateurs on the break ©H.Carr

Kilburn were no mean opposition and constantly challenged the Amateurs defence, often narrowly failing to break through at the last gasp through handling errors. The Amateurs lived dangerously at times, conceding the usual tally of penalties. Kilburn converted a retaken penalty from in front of the posts. But the Amateurs showed more enterprise with constant variety in the back moves or moving the ball wide as well as the  scrum’s dominance in the set pieces and second phase. Phil Ah-Sun at full back added to the Amateurs’ score when he burst into the line and through the defence to score their second try, leaving Quins 12-3 ahead at half time.

Quins asserted their dominance throughout the second half, both in attack, and in defence, thwarting waves of Kilburn attacks. On the counter-attack, Matt Williams continued the form he showed last week on the wing running in a magnificent try rounding the opposition wing and brushing off two tacklers to reach the line seven minutes into the second half (19-3).

A defensive Quins scrum ©H.Carr
A defensive Quins scrum ©H.Carr

This was followed up after 20 minutes when Quins won their line-out 7 metres out and set up a ruck from which scrum half Russell Wigginton skillfully dummied the opposition and popped a blindside pass which the winger accepted gratefully to touch down over the line and edge Quins to 24-3.

The last 20 minutes saw Quins defend resolutely, Webster unfortunately receiving a blow to his knee just before the final whistle, which may rule him out for 2 weeks. 

Quins next match is a second round tie this Saturday, away at Lensbury, in Teddington.

Team: 1. Lawrence 2. Fairweather 3. Newman 4. Dewar 5. Wall 6. Farrant 7. Thompson 8. Stevens (Vice Captain) 9. Wigginton 10. Webster (Captain) 11. Williams 12. Eaton 13. Birbeck 14. Wallace 15. Ah-Sun. Subs:  Barford, Kurdi, van der Westhuizen

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