By peejay001
April 3 2006

Just 11 months after suffering the indignity of relegation to ND1, NEC Harlequins secured their promotion back to the Premiership with a resounding 65-8 victory over Sedgley Park at the Twickenham Stoop, combined with Bedford suffering a 26-23 defeat against Exeter at the County Ground. Although Quins played some excellent rugby, scoring 11 tries in the process, the day will best be remembered for a dramatic five minute period after the final whistle as a tense crowd waited for confirmation of the final score from the County Ground.

Quins started brightly with Will Greenwood spurning a good try scoring opportunity as early as the second minute. It was Sedgley Park however who registered the first points on the scoreboard with scrum half Jamie Albinson shrugging off a couple of loose tackles to give the visitors a shock lead after eight minutes, though fly half Phil Jones missed with the conversion attempt. Surely Quins were not going to be made to look April Fools, their cause being helped by the sin binning of Sedgley Park lock Jon Skurr on 10 minutes to the tune of ‘Bye bye baby’ for an off the ball shoulder barge. Adrian Jarvis missed the resulting penalty but from then on Quins took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring six tries before half time.

On 12 minutes a great break by Tom Williams took play close to the visitor’s try line where lock Jim Evans was driven over from close range for the five points (although Tani Fuga was announced to have scored at the time). Jarvis converted to give Quins the lead in the match for the first time. Four minutes later a quickly taken penalty by the again excellent Steve So'oialo allowed Ugo Monye to power down the right wing handing off two (or was it three defenders?) before racing round to score under the posts, presenting Jarvis with a simple conversion. A definite candidate for try of the season! Two minutes later and Quins were on the scoreboard again as Tom Guest shrugged off a couple of tackles, following a chip by Adrian Jarvis, to score our third try of the afternoon. Jarvis converted though a Sedgley Park penalty from Jones reduced the deficit to 21-8 after 21 minutes.

Another superb try five minutes later secured the try bonus as Greenwood touched down in the right hand corner following some lovely handling from Gavin Duffy and Williams. Jarvis missed the conversion but made amends three minutes later converting a Williams try who scoped up a loose ball before sprinting over half the length of the pitch unopposed to score under the posts.

Sedgley Park to their credit did not throw in the towel and it took a great try saving tackle from Guest just metres from the line to prevent a certain score. Quins however were soon on the attack again, a break from Keogh down the left wing on 36 minutes leading to Duffy racing over for yet another try. Jarvis missed the conversion. Half time scores: NEC Harlequins 38 Sedgley Park 8 & Exeter Chiefs 12 Bedford Blues 13.

The second half started with Mike Brown, Ricky Nebbitt and George Robson on for Ugo Monye, Lorne Ward and Jim Evans. It was Brown who scored the first try of the half on 45 minutes going over in the left hand corner following a quickly taken So’oialo penalty Jarvis missed the conversion and was replaced on 11 minutes, together with Tom Guest and Tani Fuga, by Andrew Mehrtens, Pablo Bouza and Jimmy Richards. Despite the new faces, Quins continued to dominate proceedings though the announcement of the latest score from the County Ground (Exeter 10 Bedford 23) suggested that the promotion party would have to wait another two weeks until the London Welsh game! Nick Easter scored the first of his two tries after 53 minutes, strolling over from close range after Simon Keogh had been tackled just short of the line, but Mehrtens failed to add the two points. Nine minutes later however the New Zealander set up a try, running deep into the Sedgley Park half before getting a pass away to Keogh who scored unopposed. Mehrtens converted to make the score 55-8.

Ten minutes from the end and Simon Miall scored a rare try following a clever dummy from So’oialo. Brown hit the post with the conversion attempt. With Mel Deane now on for Greenwood, Easter rounded off proceedings on 38 minutes, getting on the end of a cross-field kick to score his second try. Mehrtens missed the conversion to leave the final score 65 - 8.

As the players prepared to leave the field it was announced that Exeter were now winning 26 – 23 but that there were still five minutes left to play! Obviously a win for Exeter would ensure that Quins were promoted but what if Bedford scraped a draw with a late drop goal? Fortunately calculators were not needed as it was announced that Exeter had indeed won and that Quins were on their way back to the Premiership. Soon the players (together with the rested Andre Vos) were back on the pitch celebrating though with a cup final just over a week away, my guess is that the only sore heads the following morning were those of the jubilant supporters!

What a great few days for the club with the signings of Stuart Abbott and Hal Luscombe being confirmed and the promotion objective being fulfilled with three league games still to go. Contrast the jubilant scenes on Saturday with the despair of that April day 11 months ago when another Manchester club, Sale Sharks, condemned the club to the darkest day in it’s history.

NEC Harlequins
Ceri Jones, Tani Fuga (Jimmy Richards, 51 mins), Lorne Ward (Ricky Nebbett, 40 mins), Jim Evans (George Robson, 40 mins), Simon Miall, Tom Guest (Pablo Bouza, 51 mins), Luke Sherriff, Nick Easter, Steve So'oialo, Adrian Jarvis (Andrew Mehrtens, 51 mins), Ugo Monye (Mike Brown, 40 mins), Gavin Duffy, Will Greenwood (Mel Deane, 70 mins), Simon Keogh, Tom Williams.
Replacements: Jimmy Richards (Tani Fuga, 51 mins), Ricky Nebbett (Lorne Ward, 40 mins), George Robson (Jim Evans, 40 mins), Pablo Bouza (Tom Guest, 51 mins), Andrew Mehrtens (Adrian Jarvis, 51 mins), Mel Deane (Will Greenwood, 70 mins), Mike Brown (Ugo Monye, 40 mins)