Harlequins had started very well. A penalty, which followed an initial kicking duel, allowed Jarvis to find a good touch in the Irish twenty-two. A catch and drive crabbed infield and a couple of metres nearer the posts allowing James Percival to break away unhindered and touch down under the posts. Jarvis kicked the simple conversion. Three minutes into the match and Quins led 7 – 0.

They did not trouble the scorer again.Errors abounded on both sides. Balls were dropped or knocked on, poor passes thrown, even poorer options taken. The conditions were quite dreadful. It was amazing that there were spectators sitting in the stand to watch the curious spectacle. It bore more resemblance to water polo than rugby. It was not surprising that frustrations overcame discipline.

A brawl involving a large number of players was allowed to continue, apparently ignored by the referee, while the ball was moved rapidly by the Irish backs and a try scored while most of the Harlequins were occupied by the melee. After twenty minutes, the scores were level.

Quins went back on the attack and had a good field position with a ruck in front of the Irish posts and a penalty for offside when another outbreak of “handbags” saw Spanghero sent to the sin-bin and the penalty reversed.

That was the end of Quins’ scoring chances for the remainder of the half.

The up and under became more the option of choice in attack and more difficult to handle as the rain continued to fall.Half time was reached without further score,The second half continued as error strewn as the first had been. Gradually it became apparent that the visitors were adapting their play to the conditions with more nous than Quins.

After seven minutes a penalty on the Quins ten-metre line allowed their fly half, Hickey, to kick successfully and put the visitors into the lead. He repeated the feat some eight minutes later to increase the exiles’ lead to 7 – 13. Later, fortunately for Quins, he missed with his third kick at goal.

To catalogue Quins subsequent errors would be invidious. They were many and unamusing to their supporters. The swan that strolled slowly across the pitch, obviously mistaking the arena for part of the nearby river, provided more interest than the play. The low point was reached when a penalty allowed Quins to find touch close to the Irish try line. This was almost the only time Quins were out of their own half of the field since half time. They had three successive attacking lineouts and managed to lose them all.

Few reputations will have been assisted by this performance. Turner-Hall and Masson worked tirelessly in midfield, Danny Care marshalled his forwards well. It was good to see Tom Williams back from injury. For the rest, this match is best forgotten.

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