By AlanQuin
November 15 2011

Harlequins A team won a second successive victory in the Aviva A League at The Stoop, defeating London Irish by 24 – 14.  Despite crossing the try line more than once and almost doing so on more occasions, all Quins’ points came from the metronomic boot of Benjamin Urdapilleta who slotted eight out of ten penalties.  

Throughout the match the whistle sounded with unfailing regularity and the visitors’ apparent lack of discipline cost them dear.  They also had two yellow cards.  A penalty in the first minute allowed Adrian Jarvis to open the scoring for the visitors only for Quins to draw level with their first points almost immediately play restarted.

Both sides attempted to play with pace but the shrill blast of the whistle frequently halted play and the boot of Urdapilleta added more points to open a lead of 12 – 3.   A fine Quins attack involving Charlie Walker, Ross Chisholm and Tom Williams at pace ended with Irish going offside.  On the half-hour Jarvis succeeded with a long range penalty to reduce the lead as injury to Williams saw him replaced by Jason Burns.  Harry Sloan had earlier replaced an injured Casson and was in support of an excellent break by Walker, but despite appearing to have scored between the posts his “try” was disallowed as held up.  Irish cleared the danger from the five metre scrum.

Irish renewed their attack as a good touch finding kick gave them an attacking lineout and great pressure on the Quins’ line. Quins, however, held them off and eventually the whistle brought the interval without further score. 12- 6.

A further successful penalty kick from Urdapilleta soon after the start of the second half increased the lead.  Irish resumed their attack and soon after they turned over possession from Quins and manufactured a try in the left corner. Jarvis failed to add the conversion and the lead was reduced to 15 – 11.  Urdapilleta added two more successful kicks in the nest three minutes before Jarvis replied with his third to make the score 21 -14.  Then for the first time in the match Urdapilleta missed a penalty, his eighth attempt.

But now Quins were clearly on top in the match.  At both scrum and lineout they were dominating and the backs were continuing to attack.  Once again Quins were held up over the line and on other occasions were put into touch just short of the line. Another successful kick extended the lead and during the last ten minutes five successive penalties at lineout and scrum on the Exiles’ five metre line produced enormous pressure but no further score, although it was surprising that no penalty try had been awarded.  24 – 14 was the final score.