By Harley Quin
April 24 2011

With one hour gone, current England number 8 Nick Easter sprinted 15 yards to touchdown under the posts scoring the fourth, bonus point try, ensuring a happy holiday for Harlequins.

Many expected the game to be a tense, close affair with Leeds fighting for their Premiership lives. However, it was not to be. The visitors swept aside their opponents with consummate ease and were well worth the final score line. In fact, it should have been more.

Quins dominated the early going and when Chris Robshaw refused two very kickable penalties in favour of scrums inside the Leeds 5 yard line, it was a statement of intent. 5 points was the target from the start.

Having dominated the opening exchanges, it was just starting to feel like ‘business as usual’ this season. Lots of possession and territory, but with no points to show for it. That all changed in 5 minutes as the visitors stamped their authority on the game.

On 18 minutes Quins finally broke the deadlock. A half break in open play was off-loaded to Danny Care who chipped over the defence and, enjoying the luck of a favourable bounce, scored under the posts.

With Leeds midfield tackling being exposed, another series of half breaks ended with Joe Gray powering in from about 15 yards. Nick Evans added both conversions and a 14-0 lead reflected the dominance of the visitors in the opening exchanges.

The scores finally sparked Leeds into life. Two forays into Quins territory resulted in transgressions from the visitors at the breakdown, but former Harlequin Adrian Jarvis was unable to open the home team’s account.

When Quins won a scrum against the head Nick Evans launched a clever attack down the blindside. Penalty. Once again Robshaw spurned the chance of 3 points in the quest for tries. Sadly, Quins were penalised and the attack came to nothing.

During Leeds last attack during the first half, it was their turn to forsake an easy three points, but resolute defence kept them out and a turnover ended any final threat. A fourteen point lead was a fair reflection of the first 40 minutes.

The second half started just like the first. More pressure from the visitors. Only two minutes had gone when a ruck under the posts was moved left by Care to Evans whose half break made enough space for Jordan Turner-Hall to crash over. Evans knocked over the conversion to increase the lead to 21.

Leeds finally opened their account when a half break was initially stopped with a tap tackle from Turner-Hall, but the breakdown resulted in another raised arm from the referee. Replacement kicker Lewis-Pratt slotted the kick.

Spurred on by their 3 points, Leeds played their most adventurous rugby to date, without actually penetrating the Quins defence in a dangerous area. They were rewarded with another penalty, but this time Lewis-Pratt made a solid contact with the woodwork and the ball fell back into Quins’ hands.

With 55 minutes gone, on a very warm afternoon, Quins replaced the entire front row and Vallejos replaced Kohn four minutes later.

The next Quins attack got a bit ragged, so Danny Care decided to drop a goal, which he did. “I just fancied it!” he told me later. (A lot more than his DoR who had sent on instructions to absolutely go for the 4^th try!)

Thankfully, Conor did not have to wait long. One minute later, Quins next attack prised open the Leeds midfield once again and Nick Easter powered over. Evans doesn’t miss from there, so it was 31-3.

It should have been more. With Leeds throwing caution to the wind, Danny Care grabbed a turnover just outside the Quins 22 and released Ross Chisholm who had come on for Monye after 62 minutes. The youngster butchered a two on one by greedily keeping the ball and turning inside. Had he drawn the fullback it would have been a very easy score for Camacho.

With Moore on for Care, Clegg replacing Evans and Skinner giving Robshaw a well earned rest, the bench was emptied. Robshaw had another outstanding game, as did Danny Care returning to his home turf.

With tired bodies and nothing really to play for the game predictably lost its shape. The final act of significance came when Mike Brown pounced on another Leeds turnover to race 65 yards to score in the corner. Clegg made the touchline conversion to close out the scoring. Final score 3-38.

It was a job well done by Quins who subdued their opponents with surprising ease. With Irish to visit Leicester and Quins hosting Saracens, Harlequins have given themselves a chance of a top six finish and Heineken Cup rugby next season.

Conor O’Shea was predictably upbeat after the game. “We know on our day, the way we try to play, we can challenge people. I’m happy because we have given ourselves a chance to be top 6. Now we’ll park the Premiership and face what you could describe as the ultimate challenge (Munster on Saturday), which this team is up for.”

Happy Easter everybody!

Leeds:

15. Christian Lewis-Pratt 14. Lee Blackett 13. Henry Fa'afili 12. Lachlan MacKay 11. Michael Stephenson 10. Adrian Jarvis 9. Scott Mathie 1. Gareth Hardy 2. Steve Thompson 3. Phil Swainston 4. Daniel Browne 5. Marco Wentzel (c) 6. Kearnan Myall 7. Hendre Fourie 8. Rhys Oakley Alfie To'oala

Replacements: 16. Phil Nilsen (for Thompson 40 mins) 17. Mike MacDonald (for Hardy 35 mins) 18. Gareth Denman 19. Danny Paul 20. Alfie To’oala (for Wentzel 50 mins)  21. Dan White 22. Peter Wackett 23. Scott Barrow

Harlequins:

15. Mike Brown 14. Gonzalo Camacho 13. George Lowe 12. Jordan Turner-Hall 11. Ugo Monye 10. Nick Evans 9. Danny Care 1. Joe Marler 2. Joe Gray 3. James Johnston 4. Ollie Kohn 5. George Robson 6. Maurie Fa’asavalu 7. Chris Robshaw (c) 8. Nick Easter

Replacements: 16. Matt Cairns (for Gray 55 mins) 17. Ceri Jones (for Mahler 55 mins)18. Mark Lambert (for Johnston 55 mins) 19. Tomas Vallejos (for Kohn 59 mins) 20. Will Skinner (for Robshaw 68 mins) 21. Dave Moore (for Care 68 mins) 22. Rory Clegg (for Evans 62 mins)23. Ross Chisholm (for Monye 65 mins)

Attendance: 5,424