By AlanQuin
January 25 2011

Harlequins A Team achieved a hard fought, bonus try victory over Exeter United by 36 – 22 to retain their position at the head of the Southern Conference table of the Aviva A League.

Exeter started the match at pace and combined that with physicality, attributes that marked their game throughout.  For most of the first ten minutes the visitors kept play in the Quins’ half of the pitch and had the most of the possession.  They had the first chance of points after two minutes, but the penalty attempt went wide.  Then a fine break by Bishay with Fa’asavalu in support took play into the Exeter half and Clegg duly kicked the penalty for offside that followed.

But the visitors were not to be underestimated as they continued to attack with ball in hand. From a scrum about ten metres from the Quins’ try-line they moved the ball right where they had a two on one overlap for a well-worked try,  The successful conversion increased the lead to 3 – 7 after eighteen minutes. Clegg reduced the lead to a single point with another successful penalty a couple of minutes later.

Then three Harlequin tries in six minutes virtually took the game away. A penalty on the twenty-two was kicked to the corner by Clegg and a powerful catch and drive took play almost to the line and although halted there was a gap for Dave Moore to dive in at the corner. Clegg added the extras from the touchline.

Straight from the restart Quins were on the attack with Fa’asavalu charging past would be tacklers and taking play back into Exeter’s half.  He was able to recycle the ball which eventually came to Urdapilleta who jinked through the defence for a try converted by Clegg.

A couple of minutes later, a yellow card for Ewers, the Exeter No.8, for an incident reported by the touch judge, allowed Clegg to find touch near the corner. Again the powerful surge from the lineout was stopped short of the line, but after a couple of attempts, Browne was driven over by his fellow forwards for Quins’ third try.  Surprisingly, Clegg missed the conversion but Quins led 25 – 7.

But Exeter were not done and despite a man short and far in arrears after the Quins’ blitzkrieg they broke away from the restart and defensive lapses allowed them to create an overlap and score a try.  The conversion was missed and at half time the score was 25 – 12.

Early in the second half a penalty kick for each side brought the score to 28 – 15.  Then an Exeter attack took play back into Quins’ twenty-two and a penalty close to the line allowed the visitors to opt for a scrum.  There followed several minutes during which resets and penalties and further scrums proliferated.  The anticipated penalty try did not arrive but a yellow card for Buchanan did appear.  With the pack reduced to seven, quick ball from the scrum allowed Exeter to put an excellent grubber kick through for one of their backs to dart through and score, reducing the arrears, with the conversion, to 28 – 22.

Then with Quins back to full strength, a yellow card for a newly arrived Exeter replacement for a blatant shoulder charge on Fa’asavalu, who had been putting himself about throughput the game, tipped the balance again. Taking a tap penalty for the infringement, Quins found that Exeter had not retreated ten metres and the renewed penalty was eminently kickable from the twenty-two.  Clegg made no mistake in increasing the lead to 31 – 22.

There was still time for the bonus point and Will Collier duly obliged after considerable Quins’ pressure by crashing through for the try.  Clegg’s kick missed.  There was still time for another attack and a fine run by Urdapilleta ended scoreless as his kick through did not reach his target. 36 -22 was the final score.

Other results of games in the A league have removed Irish from contention for a final place.  Saracens are still 10 points behind with two games in hand, but even if they ended level on  points with Quins, their points difference is markedly inferior.