By Lab Rat
December 24 2003

For someone who grew up in Stockport, it was a little surreal at my mature years to be walking through the frosty night with my dad to Edgeley Park. Being taken to watch your first game is what most my friends did while still at primary school!

Pre-match reports where claiming Sale were up for a 5 pointer for which would have given them second place as a Christmas present (behind Barf) but the Quins had other ideas for my first truly “home game”!

Overall this was an entertaining but technically poor game in the freezing cold that either team could have lost!

Quins defence on the line awesome but it’s a pity that our line out was nowhere near as good as Sale’s was on the night.

The team played well together with some good passing and positional play that capitalised on some poor defensive play by Sale.

Quins benefited from Sale missing several first team players including Billy Whizz who was at HQ to meet some kiwis, where as we had a strong squad with Shaggy in the starting 15 and Sir Jase on the bench. It was also good to see a certain Vaughan Going playing dangerously well against his old club.

The published referee Roy Maybank was substituted for Mr Pearson (the MEN reporter didn’t even get that right!) who, in my opinion had a pretty appalling game, that not even Campsall on the line could salvage. His signalling was very unclear and I doubt if even the players understood half of his decisions.

A few highlights and a few key moments in the game:

• The sin-binning of Dippy and Jon Dawson within minutes of each other for pulling down and coming in from the side. After lots of discussion (uncontested scrum?) a substitution was made with Kai Horstmann (who had come on for Roy) returning to the bench and Gomez coming into the pack.
• The amazing, awesome, thunderous defence on our line while down to 13 - only to concede after Dippy came back on to a Baxendale try (his testimonial year coming up btw).
• The confused look on Jim Evans face when he found himself put back on side when Shaggy hoofed the ball deep hitting a Sale player, he gathered himself and the ball, dodged the unprepared defenders and legged it for the line - cracking stuff - the bemused silence around me in the Cheadle End was worth the price of the ticket alone.
• George Harder and Simon Keogh just missing out on a try each when catching the flag and tackled into touch respectively. The final play of the game with Andy Dunne’s drop goal attempt in the dying seconds of the game the was heading straight through the posts right at me but unfortunately fell 5 metres short.
• The nicest stewards I have ever met at a ground - to the extent they were running around trying to spot Barbara and Jason for me - which they did!

Conclulsion: Edgeley park is a nice ground which seems to becoming a new home for the Heywood Road faithful. with a cracking double bar system where the drinks are being poured by a separate group to those serving but they do need to work on the pitch!

We played some of out best rugby for a long while - determined and aggressive - 2 points good - 4 points better - roll on Glaws Merry Christmas to one and all. Players

Sale Sharks: V Going; M Cueto, B van Straaten, G Bond, S Hanley; J Baxendell, N Walshe; K Yates, M Cairns, B Stewart, D Schofield, I Fullarton, J White, S Pinkerton (capt), C Jones. Replacements: J Roddham, S Turner, B Lloyd, M Lund, C Mayor, J Hoyle, R. Wigglessworth

Scorers: Baxendell (1T) Cueto (2T), van Straaten (3C, 2P)

NEC Harlequins G Duffy, G Harder, W Greenwood, M Deane, S Keogh, A Dunne, S Bemand, C Jones, T Fuga, J Dawson, B Davison, J Evans, R Winters, A Vos, T Diprose. Replacements: J Hayter, J Leonard, L Gomez, K Rudzki, K Horstmann, A Jarvis, C Bell

Scorers: Jones (1T), Evans (1T), Keogh (1T) Dunne (3C, 2P)

Attendance: 6,643