By AlanQuin
April 8 2003

They were celebrating victory at Kingsholm last evening. There were the television reporters and their cameras, there were the Gloucester first team squad basking in the adulation of the faithful who had turned up in numbers to see their heroes and there, too, was the Powergen Cup. Your reporter looked in vain for Quin supporters although later found that there must have been about a dozen present in a crowd of about 1500. However, it was Quins 2nd XV which celebrated a famous victory by a single point, 27 – 28 when the evening ended becoming the first visitors to win at Kingsholm this season.

Gloucester were captained by former Harlequin, Darren O’Leary who was playing at centre rather than his usual position on the wing.

Almost immediately from the kick-off, a penalty allowed Slemen to put the visitors into the lead. Simon Amor responded with a penalty only three minutes later. Both teams were anxious to attack but good defences and unforced errors prevented further scores. Quins first real opportunity came following a drive from a lineout when the ball came left to Jewell with the line at his mercy, but the pass was judged to be forward. It was the end of the first quarter before another score, from a penalty on the 22-metre line in front of the posts kicked by Slemen, allowed Quins to regain the lead.

Quins continued to attack and quick passing and good pressure eventually allowed Rudzki to score a try from close range. Slemen added the conversion and the score was 3 – 13. A further penalty by Amor allowed Gloucester to pull the score back to 6 – 13 which was the half-time position.

The Quins defence had been good. They were quicker than Gloucester to the breakdown and even though they lost their lineout on a number of occasions, they also won a number on the Gloucester throw and disrupted their scrum more than once. Gloucester were trying to play in the style of their illustrious first team, but without their skill.

The home side made a bright start to the second half, but it was the visitors who scored first when Sherriff went over following a forward drive. Slemen missed the conversion. 6 – 18.

Good pressure from Gloucester led to lineout deep in Quins’ 22 on their left. For an offence in the resulting ruck Pablo Cardinali was sent to the bin. With Quins down to 14 men, Gloucester redoubled their efforts and scored from a good break through the centre to touch down between the posts. Amor converted. Then a missed tackle allowed the Gloucester backs to break away again and with only Williams to beat the pass to Amor left the full-back totally stranded. Shortly after another Gloucester attack allowed Murray to score in the corner and with the added conversion Gloucester had scored 21 unanswered points to retake the lead 27 – 18.

An injury to Slemen brought Adrian Jarvis onto the field and almost immediately Quins were awarded a penalty which Jarvis kicked to bring the score to 27 – 21. Quins continued to press and with less than ten minutes left Hayter scorfed a try which Jarvis converted to restore a slender lead. 27 – 28

In one of a number of decisions which were not easily understood, the referee showed a yellow card to the Gloucester kicker, Amor. This proved decisive. With the home side down to 14 men they were awarded three successive penalties, first on the half-way line and the next two some 10 metres nearer. Neither of the players who tried to kick the goals had the direction although both had the distance. And so time ran out with the 2nd XV providing an unusual win at Kingsholm. They have lost only once this season and the management are trying to arrange one more fixture before the season ends.

Harlequins 2nd XV: Tom Williams (rep Henry Barrett 73 min), Matt Moore, Viliame Satala, Nick Greenstock (Capt)(Chris Bell 58 min), Rob Jewell, David Slemen (Adrian Jarvis 60 min), Matthew Powell, Sam Pablo Cardinali, James Hayter, Jon Dawson, Karl Rudzki, (Tom Parker 52 min) Jim Evans, Darryll Griffin, Luke Sherriff (Sam Walton 57-62), Alex Mockford

Gloucester United (from) Catling, Foster, O'Leary (Captain), Murray, Goodridge, Amor, S-Smith, Irish, Caves, Molloy, Pearce, Rimmer, Narraway, Southern, Davies, Brittan, Hughes, Knight, Elloway, Guess,