By AlanQuin
April 10 2011

Two tries in the first five minutes of this pulsating match followed by twenty-two points from the immaculate boot of Nick Evans ensured that Harlequins progressed to the semi-final of the Amlin Challenge Cup by 32 – 22.

In a game of great pace, passion and commitment throughout, with both sides attempting to put width on the ball and play rugby, Harlequins started at breathless pace and hard running and good handling took play deep into the Wasps’ twenty-two and there was Easter with a typical pop pass out of the back of his hand to put Danny Care through under the posts for a try within ninety seconds of the kick off.  Evans added the simple conversion.  Wasps kicked off again and there was Care on the loop. Turner-Hall and Lowe carrying the ball into Wasps’ territory again and there, too, was Maurie Fa’asavalu battering his way through three would-be tacklers for the second try.  The clock was showing four minutes and forty seconds at the touchdown and less than six minutes when Evans added the extras for a 14 – 0 lead.

Thereafter Wasps were playing catch-up rugby, but never caught up.  They did close the gap as a good attack by Flutey and former Quin Seb Jewell, a last minute starter when Jacobs injured himself in the warm-up, saw Jewell tackled as he reached the try-line but stretch over for the try Walder converted and after thirteen minutes the score was 14 – 7.  Wasps were now playing with more pace and conviction and desperation as good defence held them at bay and a fast run along the left touchline by Walder was snuffed out by a fine try saving tackle from Camacho inches from the line.

Neither side appeared to want to engage in the set piece confrontation, so that a full twenty minutes elapsed before the first scrum. A penalty to Wasps at the scrum gave Walder a chance to close the gap, but the kick went wide.  He made up for the miss with a smooth drop goal a couple of minutes later.  But then in the remainder of the half, with Wasps’ discipline faltering, a series of penalties, for hands in the ruck, offside and a high tackle respectively, allowed Nick Evans to increase the Quins’ lead to 23 – 20 at the interval.

An early penalty chance was missed by Walder very soon after the resumption but Evans extended the lead to 26 – 10 after six minutes with another successful kick.  Wasps were attacking now with greater desperation and from a good attacking lineout produced a catch and drive which took them right to the Quins’ line and despite desperate defence Lindsay, the replacement hooker was driven over by the posts.  Walder duly converted.  Another successful penalty from Evans extended the lead again to 29 -17.

Both sides were using every opportunity to attack and Care, Turner-Hall, Mike Brown and Evans all made good breaks but were held by good defence.  Robson stole a lineout but was penalised for obstruction and finally, with ten minutes remaining a good attack by Wasps created a gap for Haughton to score in the right corner.  With the scores within a converted try, 29 – 22, Walder missed with the conversion attempt from the touchline.

A knock-on from the restart gave Quins an attacking scrum inside the Wasps’ twenty-two and when the ball came to Nick Evans, the fly half calmly and accurately struck a drop goal to take the scores beyond the single score differential and sealed the win.

So Harlequins go on to a semi-final against Munster in Limerick a place where few come and win and where Quins have lost twice in European competition.

Harlequins Brown; Camacho, Lowe, Turner-Hall, Monye; Evans, Care; C Jones, Gray (Brooker, 48), Andress (Lambert, 51), Kohn (Vallejos, 56), Robson (Browne, 79), Fa'asavalu, Skinner, Easter (capt).

London Wasps Van Gisbergen; Haughton, Jewell, Flutey, Lemi (Wade, 21); Walder, Simpson; Payne, Webber (Lindsay, 32), Broster, Shaw, Launchbury, Betsen (Jones, 67), Ward-Smith, Powell.

Referee C Berdos (France). Attendance 8,565.