Leicester Tigers
Harlequins v Tigers Match Report
By Harlequinade
April 3 2011
For the second week running this match report is compiled by an exiled Tigers fan who has taken up refuge in a port of convenience! Unlike “Tiger in the Bath” though, I normally wear the quarters except when Leicester are the visitors! My attire for the day therefore caused a bit of a frisson when I took my normal place in my Season Ticket holders seat! Fortunately, due to a late arrival after pretty slow service in Angelo's, where we had had a late lunch, there wasn't too long to endure the abuse before kick off !
The long lunch had resulted in perhaps one glass too many of the fine chianti ( I know.... but I'm a honorary Southerner now and there isn't any Everards down here!) ,and it took me some time to set up the (pirate) ref link!
I was keen to have it going as Wayne Barnes is one of my favourite refs! He had recently done a very good “meet the ref “ evening at the Stoop and the pre-match comments on “Come all Within” website confirmed that the Quins fans regarded him highly! He is a local boy after all!
My brother had made the trip down to see the match, and as my youngest son was otherwise engaged he had his Ticket. My other boy turned up in his Quartered shirt and opined that Quins would be hungrier than Tigers for this one as Tigers were sure of a home semi and if Quins didn't win they had no chance of a top four place!
I told him that that sort of thinking didn't figure in the minds of the Tigers players or coaches!
If they were playing a game they were playing to win it!
Quins kicked off and Tigers made a great take .
Youngs made a poorish box kick which went long and Quins moved back onto the attack with Easter carrying well. The ball moved left and right with good handling from Quins!
However Kohn missed a clear 2 on 1 overlap on his right and instead chose to make a short pass inside. Fortunately it was forward, and that gave a breathing space for Tigers as they cleared their lines from the resulting penalty at the scrum . A great opportunity missed for the Quins!
I remember hearing Mr Barnes congratulating the front rows on keeping their discipline as they broke up! Hmmm I thought..
Inexplicably Tigers then managed to lose possession at the lineout!
Quins mount another attack and we concede a kickable penalty which Evans pushes right of the posts (It is his first game back after a longish Injury lay off.)
Ten points gone begging!
From the 22 dropout Quins make an unforced knock on and at the scrum they are penalised once more!
Flood kicks well to the touchline and this time there is no mistake from the ensuing line out as Tigers make their first coherent attack of the game. Quins defend well and after some toing and froing without much penetration Alesano Tuilagi knocks on in the tackle to bring it to an end!
The ref awards us the scrum though! ( I am reliably informed it went forwards off a Quins hand)
Longish period of play between the two 22's follows with no events of much note!
Care looking a bit sharper than a strangely lacklustre YBY.
Quins gain a penalty at the scrum! ("No bind No 1 "says Barnes!)
Evans makes a complete Horlicks of the penalty, missing touch and kicking into the dead ball area where the normally ever reliable Scott Hamilton returns the favour, and slices his clearance kick into the spot Evans should have made! (These Kiwi mates eh!)
From the resulting lineout Easter makes a great break and canters for the line to make an easy touch down!
All around me erupt in delight and I have to politely applaud!
But no! It goes to the TMO and its ruled out! Easter has made a poor finish and hit the touch line prior to grounding !
Another scoring chance missed by Quins!
They could live to regret them!
On 35 mins the Quins skipper Robshaw is substituted by his predecessor, the Old Tiger Will Skinner.
There is a bit of chat with Quins trying to persuade Barnes that it is a blood substitution but with the lack of any suitable props he asserts there is no blood and its a normal injury substitution!
A few more passages of play when Quins look threatening in mid field but Brown drops the pass. Tigers gain another Penalty and its Tobes turn to miss a kickable chance!
Still 0-0!!
Now Quins remount and make a determined onslaught, Flood kicks ball away, Quins run it back, Monye makes good yards , quick ball from Quins and Care darts through a gaping hole to score and Evans kicks the conversion!
Quins take the restart, win the collisions and gain a kickable penalty which Evans obliges with!
10-0 and we are lucky to have the nil!
I could have an embarrassing half time!
Few more passages and Floody has a try at a penalty from half way which falls a few feet short between the posts!
All round me are jubilant! I decide to take the initiative and declare that they are at least four points short of a defendable half time score ,and that after our cerebral coach has presented his insightful analysis of the first half, and told our boys what they need to do differently, then we would end up triumphal!
(I hope I sounded more convincing than I felt about the likely outcome)
Quite frankly Quins had been better than us in most areas except the scrum!
Second half starts, Cole and Easter have a bit of handbags to establish the right tone for the half.
Brown kicks away possession..Newby breaks though Evans ...it moves quickly left and Alesana Tuilagi dives for the tryline and I fear he has made the same mistake as Easter! Oh No...!!
But no!! Replays confirm its a good try! Great touchline conversion from Floody and its game on!!
Quins swap Andress for Lambert,no doubt to try and improve the carrying in the loose, as Andress has struggled a bit in the set piece but Lamberts not likely to do much better!
Tigers up the pace a bit ,Mafi carries well, Hamilton makes a good break but lacks real pace, andis pulled down.
Tigers recycle but a knock on gives a scrum to Quins..Lambetr goes straight to ground and a penalty to Tigers next to the posts.
Tigers opt for another Scrum!
Oh good!
Another Pen. against Lambert!
Another Scrum!
I can feel the trepidation around me!
Another Penalty against Lambert!
The refs patience is wearing thin.
He gives clear instuctions as to what he wants to see and as to what is going to happen if he doesn't see it!
This time its ok but Skinner dives in to a ball that Barnes says is still in, and sure enough, Skinner goes for 10 minutes rest!
No surprise really but all round me say the ball was out!
I say that the ref was closer than me!
Another scrum goes down and this time Barnes has no option but to send Lambert to keep Will company!
Next Scrum the inevitable penalty try ensues!
All round me erupt in fury!
Tobes makes the easy conversion.
14-10
I look around smugly!
They are not pleased!
They even forget the refs surname, mistaking him for some chap called Kerr!
I can't understand what all the fuss is about really!
Tigers putting pressure on now against the 13 Harlequins!
But they win a penalty in the scrum. No bind shouts Wayne!
How silly Tigers!
Fortunately Evans misses again!
Marcos and the Mohican decide to exchange pleasantries and I hear Wayne Kerr discuss it with his assistant ref.
He says he sees a grapple when the Tigers No I leads with his head to the other players head.
The Quins player had been warned to keep his hands down and connected with an uppercut and both players are to be sent off!
All pretty straight forwards again!
I'm impressed by Barnes ability to keep very calm and perform his job methodically.
Skinner and Lambert return to the field.
A Scrum ensues and as we need a prop. Skinner goes off to enable the scrum!
But that’s not what O'shea wants.
Lots of messing about!
Skinners back on!
I'm lost!
Play resumes.
The tempos is upped by both teams
Quins kick through and Williams misses the touch down by inches!
This is getting really exciting now!
Scrum to Quins!
Ceri Jones is on!
Will that help them?
Yep!
Quins press on.
Tigers win at the Breakdown and run it from their 22!
Tigers kick deep!
Evans return kick is good but too long and a quick throw clears the pressure.
Quins get a midfield pen but Evans falls a fraction short!
Good attack from Tigers, Thomas the Tank shows why he is a credible challenge to Easter.
Quins defend well. Scrum Tigers!
Leicester pen ( 17 no bind says Barnes)
Tobes kicks it!
A bit of breathing space.
4 points clear!
Quins will need more than one penalty.
We don't lose games from here I assert confidently to my (ex) mates!
The announcer announces that Easter is MoM.
“Thats unusual” I says!
“Why?: says Dennis?
For a player on the losing side to get it I quip!
He glares!
Manu makes a great inteception and is away but for some reason Barnes calls it back for a Quins penalty and they kick for the corner. Still.. on balance Barnes has had a good game with most of his decisions seeming correct to me.
Quins make a final frenzied attack. Good ball retention and its desperate defence. from Tigers
Tigers concede another pen.
Care takes a short tap..
They pound our line !
Quins knockon!
Final Whistle blows
I feel faint.
I remenber to breathe again and feel much better!
Handshakes all round! Well played! Unlucky!
Phew!
What a game!
Quins will be disspointed but they did play very well.
Off to the Quins Head for a pint!!
Ill be back to the Stoop on Mon night to watch the A team play Bath.
They only need a point from their last two games to set up a home semi against guess who??
Then I'm here again on Friday for Quins vs Wasps in the Amlin quarters!
Guess who I will be cheering for this time!!
Then its a spell in the sun and I will watch my third team, USAP, playing Racing Metro.
Then its back Blighty to watch (I hope) the A league on Easter Monday I think!
Its a hard life!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:11:19:53:34 by Stephen Bath.
Quote:Inexplicably Tigers then managed to lose possession at the lineout!
Easily explained - because Quins illegally held their jumper in the air before the ball was thrown in. One of the several things Mr Kerr missed.
Should have been a free kick to Tigs.
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The best thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.
The worst thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.
How right that is.
Just one point though Mr Barnes was born and educated in Gloucestershire.
...
Whilst I'm a Quin, best of luck for the rest of the season (although not sure your need it)
It was my first try at this sort of thing and now I can see lots of typos. ( and a few factual errors)
I went to see the game tonight at the stoop and Quins overwhelmed a game, but inexperienced Wasps side 62-13!
I am looking forwards to the semi,
All you need to do now is bin the quarters and wear a proper shirt to all matches
Have to agree with Hardlywins Dave, though, I thought Will was hard done by to get carded
'Profit Motive' .. the Vaseline of genocides.
'Reality' .. the new cynicism
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