By poorfour
January 20 2016

One of the more endearing things about supporting Quins is the seriousness with which they approach the game’s lesser trophies. We won the Middlesex Sevens more often than anyone else. For the last five years, one of rugby’s little pleasures has been seeing Quins’ annual triumph at the Floodlit 7s. And in its former guise, we claimed the European Challenge Cup three times, most recently in that memorable 2011 Final in Cardiff. 

That seriousness has been translated into the new format. Quins came into this game having won all four previous pool games with a bonus point, and with the knowledge that a fifth bonus point win would secure a home semi final. The team sheet was a clear statement of intent: almost a full strength team, with only Horwill (flu), Visser (hamstring) and Jones (presumably still getting his breath back after last week’s 80 minute lung-burster) missing. Cardiff, meanwhile, had improved significantly from the team we beat away in Round 2. Their backline looked dangerous, although their fans voiced concerns about the pack and the fullback Dan Fish. 

The game began with an knock on by Charlie Matthews that allowed us to test their fears. The Quins pack was clearly on top, but Cardiff managed to clear. Brown ran the ball back, and Quins secured a penalty that took them into the 22. Easter took the ball and Quins mauled to 5m. Care passed it away and Evans chipped over the defence for Yarde to chase. He didn’t get there first, but forced Fish to carry over the line. The resulting scrum generated a penalty, Care took it quickly but was pulled down short. The ref signalled advantage for not retreating, but Buchanan plucked the ball from the ruck and drove over. Evans was good for the extras and it was 7-0 with less than 6 minutes gone. 

The next passage of play began and ended with Clifford, celebrating his EPS with a strong performance. He took the kick off in the air and made a half break that was followed by carries from Evans and Robshaw. The ball was spun wide to Yarde but was marginally forward. Quins applied more pressure from the scrum, but Cardiff claimed the ball and worked it left and right across the pitch before spilling it in contact. Matthews, who continues to grow into his role, claimed the ball and Clifford was sharp enough on the chase to win a penalty from Brown’s clearance. 

The lineout was overthrown and Cardiff attacked but fumbled the ball. Yarde gathered, and threw an awkward loose ball from the tackle that Chisholm gathered and kicks were exchanged before Brown was no-arms tackled by Cardiff blindside Turnbull. A review by the TMO, a stern talking to, a penalty and a lineout inside the Cardiff 22 ensued. This time, Robshaw secured the ball and Clifford broke from the maul to score.14-0 and the clock hadn’t yet broken 13 minutes. 

Following the restart, Cardiff stopped a Quins maul and managed to hold their own in the scrum, unleashing an attack that got to the 5m line before Quins’ scramble defence secured a penalty. Quins couldn’t use the possession and Cardiff came back on the attack. Matthews went for an intercept but knocked on, Merrick claiming the ball from an offside position to give away a penalty. From a lineout outside the Quins 22, Cardiff found an overlap outside but were well-marshalled by Chisholm. The defence continued to hold and eventually forced a scrum near the 22. 

What followed was, qute simply, one of the finest tries you will ever see. It began with a break from Jamie Roberts, looking increasingly at home in the Quins backline, and moved through more pairs of hands than I could count. Smartly timed offloads were mixed with incisive runs, particularly from Clifford, and a clever pop pass from Merrick that kept the defence guessing. It ended with Yarde wriggling through two tacklers to score from close range. This was Quins at their irresistible best. 21-0 in the 24th minute. 

Another knock on and another solid Cardiff scrum gave them another chance to attack, this time breaking to the 5m line. The scramble defence once again held, and a Cardiff player spilled the ball on the line. Quins cleared, but were pinned back to their 22 following a penalty against Roberts. The defence once again limited Cardiff’s gains, and Quins turned the ball over from a maul. A smart kick from Care put the ball inside Cardiff’s 22; they took the lineout and cleared to near their 10m line. Quins took the lineout cleanly and attacked, Roberts, Buchanan and Clifford all carrying strongly. It makes a huge difference to have several strong carriers in the team. Roberts got to within inches of the line before Brown crossed it only to drop the ball in the act of grounding it. 

Vosawai, the Number 8, broke from the scrum but was dispossessed of the ball and Quins were back attacking the tryline. However, Cardiff loosehead Sam Hobbs had been injured and the ref called time out for him to be removed from harms way. He eventually limped off to be replaced by Tom Davis. Easter tried his own break from the scrum that restarted play, but knocked on and was turned over. Cardiff cleared, Quins worked their way back to the 5m but knocked on again. A huge scrum effort resulted in a penalty, a lineout and a weak maul that was turned over. Quins got a second chance when Cardiff were penalised for not releasing, and did not waste it. 

A one handed take from Matthews and a nice dummy running line from Yarde gave Evans space to grubber the ball behind the defence, where it bounced nicely for Chisholm to gather and score. Evans added the extras from the touchline. 28-0 and half time. 

Although the scoreline was one-sided, it’s clear from my notes that it didn’t quite reflect the game. Both sides had had chances to score tries, but Quins had taken some of theirs and Cardiff hadn’t. It wouldn’t take much to tilt the balance. 

And it didn’t. Cardiff came out with renewed purpose, and within 4 minutes had scored a well-worked try courtesy of Cory Allen. Quins went back on the attack, the ball going through the hands of Brown, Clifford, Care and into a Cardiff turnover. Cardiff strung together a good attack, but conceded a penalty that via a missed clearance and poor return allowed Clifford to make what is becoming a trademark break to the 5m. It was Cardiff’s turn to mount some stiff goal-line defence and eventually Chisholm was driven into touch. 

By this time the subs were coming on. Marler had gone off after taking a bit of a knock, and Matthews withdrew with thigh trouble. Lambert and Luamanu replaced them. Cardiff, meanwhile, strung together a nicely worked attack and scored in the corner. Importantly, Patchell couldn’t make the conversion - 28-12. 

Mass substitutions followed, Easter, Buchanan, Collier and Care making way for Wallace, Ward, Sinckler and Dickson. The Sinck made an immediate impact, first with a huge charging run through heavy traffic, then helping to win a scrum penalty that Evans converted from inside the 10m. 31-12, 55 minutes gone. 

Quins came back on the attack but a dropped ball by Brown gave Cardiff the initiative, winning a penalty and playing to the Quins line only for Lee-lo to drop the ball just short. However, good pressure from the Cardiff pack forced Quins to touch the ball down over the line. Cardiff maintained pressure through several attacks and forced several penalties from Quins, resulting in a talking to for Evans, after which he was replaced by Botica. Cardiff messed up their lineout, but Lloyd Williams was alert to the loose ball and ran through the confusion to score. 31-19 with 13 minutes left to play. It was getting a little tense. 

After mistakes on both sides, Quins made the decisive one, scuffing a lineout of their own which Cardiff regathered and released Dan Fish to score in the corner. 31-26 and Try Bonus Points all round at 73 minutes. 

The game was breaking up now, with both sides mixing mistakes and good play. Merrick disrupted a Cardiff lineout, Wallace took a dangerously bouncing ball and ran it back to half way, Clifford made another trademark run from the back of the scrum. Luamanu looked willing but clearly lacked the match fitness to repeat his early season impact. 

Finally, Quins won a kickable penalty on the stroke of 80 minutes and Botica delivered a welcome coup de grace. Like a horror movie villain, Cardiff had come back when they’d looked dead and buried, and come uncomfortably close to turning the tables. Glass half empty? When Quins let their concentration slip, they are vulnerable to anyone who can match their pace. Glass half full? The team delivered an utterly clinical first half against a team who were more talented than their first half score suggested, and they did enough in the second half to ensure both an ultimately comfortable win and a home quarter final. Job done, and our strong track record in the junior competition continues.