Harlequins
Report: Harlequins 6-6 Bath Rugby
By poorfour
November 3 2010
Quins v Bath has over the last few years been one of the matches you didn't want to miss. Last year's last gasp victory by Quins, was exciting enough to convert my guest, who had arrived as a Bath supporter, into a season ticket holder at the Stoop. This year, he brought his brother along as well. It seemed that, despite the rail disruption, he was not the only one to think that way, with Quins recording their second highest Premiership crowd at the Stoop.
Both DoRs would deny it later at the press conference, but sadly the game did not live up to the expectations of most of the fans. Conor claimed that both sides came to play rugby and blamed "difficult" conditions, but while it's true that there was no lack of ambition, neither side managed to execute consistently over a sustained passage of play, and the eventual 6-6 scoreline reflected that.
Without Lee Mears and lacking depth in their front row, Bath failed to get their offloading game working smoothly. They worked the ball quickly in open play and made a number of threatening breaks, but ultimately recycled too slowly to break down a committed Quins defence.
Unfortunately, the same was true of Quins. Too many times a promising break (and there were several exciting individual moments) was undone by an inability to get the ball back quickly and away. It was a game with a lot of turnovers at the breakdown - counter to the general pattern of the Premiership this year.
The match started brightly for Quins, with a turnover in Bath territory leading to a break from Robshaw that earned a penalty outside the 22. It looked like an uncharacteristic miss by Evans would soon be set right when Moody was penalised for not releasing. Robshaw won the resulting lineout to spark a flowing attack back into the Bath 22, but the visitors counter-rucked effectively and won a penalty that took them back towards halfway. A second penalty in front of the posts but just in Bath territory saw Barkley open the scoring. 0-3 and 8 minutes gone.
There followed an inconclusive passage of play. Some excellent positional kicking from Evans gave Quins the edge in field position, but the home side repeatedly let Bath off the hook by failing to control the ball at the ruck. Bath in turn made a couple of strong attacks but also gave away possession through turnovers and forward passes. Their most threatening moment came from a nicely placed kick that scuttered agonisingly slowly towards the Quins try line as Bath players chased after it. Brown showed excellent judgement and timing to secure the 22 dropout.
A string of kicks and knock-ons followed, in which Bath, having given away two free kicks for early engagement, began to get the better of the Quins scrum. Bath failed to find touch from a penalty against Andress, and a promising counter for Camacho with Lowe excellent in support ended in a knock on. A penalty against Jones took them back into our half, but they got pinged for not releasing at the breakdown.
Camacho made an impression on Biggs, giving away a penalty for a high tackle after a kick and chase. In fairness, it didn't look malicious, and the Bath winger slipped down into the tackle. The kick and lineout ended in a scrum after a knock on in the ruck. Quins looked to be going forward for perhaps the first time, but Andress was pinged for binding. After Barkley's miss, Camacho made a better impression, chipping over Banahan and Barkley to regather and spin the ball wide into space on the west touchline. But it came to nothing, and the half-time whistle went at 0-3.
The early part of the second half saw your reporter sent to the sin bin for the offence of having a two-year-old who needed a bathroom break. By the time I got back, Barkley had added another three. Quins applied good pressure from the kick-off, though, and Guest broke upfield only to find himself unsupported. Bath turned over but knocked on. Lambert was on for Andress and the Quins scrum was in all sorts of trouble but Guest and Dickson somehow got the ball out to Evans, who put a superb ball behind Bath where it bobbled to a stop just before the try line. Pressure from the chase won a penalty, and we were on the scoreboard. 3-6.
Brooker came on for Gray around the 60th minute, and a powerful maul won us another penalty that Evans converted. 6-6. At this point, my notes got less detailed as the sequence of play continued in much the same vein as for the rest of the match.
In the last ten minutes, Bath got into the Quins half and managed an extended period of pressure, but couldn't find a way to threaten the try line. Vesty tried a drop goal, but missed, and Quins began to exert some pressure of their own. Inevitably, it fizzled out at the bottom of a ruck and a match that neither side really deserved to win ended in a fitting draw.
At post-match interview, Conor O'Shea was about as close as he gets to defensive. He argued that both sides had tried to play, and that Quins this season had been competitive in every game and had the leading line breaker and tackler in the AP (and also, wryly, led the way in being held up over the line). He emphasised the youth of the squad and how he expects it to improve and keep improving.
More tangibly, he confirmed that Johnson will be back next week, and that Marler was recovering from an abcess that had spread to infect his pituitary. He'd returned from England camp (who seem to have a habit of breaking Quins players) with a puffy face and had been sent immediately to hospital. He was back with the squad at lunchtime and had immediately asked to be included in the subs. He also pressed Tom Guest's case for being included in the Saxons.
Steve Meehan for Bath was also guarded and also (as COS had predicted) thought that his side could have won. He felt, probably rightly, that the scoreline at half-time flattered Quins. His most revealing comments were around Olly Barkley's England future, where he pointed out that for all his form, he doesn't fit into the pattern that England currently play.
Overall, this was a frustrating fixture on many levels. Bath are a stronger side this year and it was, as always, a close game. But neither side played to their full potential. Close, low scoring games can be enthralling when a heroic turnover or tackle is all that stands between the defending team and conceding a try, but in this match it was too often a fumble that ended the attack.
Quins held their own at the breakdown and defensively, encroached on the Bath lineout and made several strong breaks, but were unable to sustain anything for long enough to make it count. Tom Williams had an uncharacteristically error-strewn game. JTH must decide what he is going to do before he receives the ball; his effectiveness as a line breaker is lost when he hesitates.
On the plus side, Camacho and Lowe both played well and showed flashes of brilliance, including a brave handoff by Lowe on Banahan. Nick Evans continues to control the game and his tactical kicking is exceptional, but too often called upon this season.
Tom Guest showed composure at the back of a struggling scrum, made his tackles and played well enough in attack to earn his man of the match award. But I felt that Quins' control of the game was lacking without Easter on the pitch. When Guest was in the attacking line, I felt that the ball wasn't coming back fast enough. If we are going to play this way through the AIs, Robson, Robshaw and Skinner will need to up their game a notch or the story of our season - close but no cigar - is likely to continue.
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Just 1 small correction. Marler must have an infection of his Parotid Gland (saliva glands around the mouth) and not his Pituitary Gland. An infection of the latter would be life threatening as it is located in the brain.
How rugby players get these dangerous infections is a mystery to me, but they do seem to get them pretty seriously when they do get them.
"JTH must decide what he is going to do before he receives the ball; his effectiveness as a line breaker is lost when he hesitates."
I was rivetted to my seat throughout the game and later was a bit surprised at the immediate negative reaction on CAW.
In hindsight, the match was frustrating in the second half with play descending into aerial ping pong - but that reflected the weather conditions and both teams' current lack of confidence and earlier string of handling errors.
In the end it was 2 points lost - something Quins should retrieve as the season progresses.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:11:03:14:05:19 by Quint Eastwood.
Quote:In the end it was 2 points lost - something Quins should retrieve as the season progresses.
A couple of losing bonus points - no problem!
BB
