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Trawling through the Harlequin archives: 2012 title triumph


Champions!

By HG
July 15 2020

From relegation to title winners in seven years is no mean feat, but that is exactly what the Harlequins managed to achieve in the 2011-12 season. After a few seasons hovering in mid-table, the Quarters finally achieved something special, providing a breath of fresh air to the Premiership that season.

A season in numbers

The capital club finished the top of the pile with 75 points, one point more than second-placed Leicester Tigers and just two more than third-placed Saracens. A 30-23 victory over Leicester in the play-off final was just desserts for a tremendous season in which the Quins lost just four games - the lowest total in the league.

It could be said though that whilst the Quins won the most games in the league, their points difference was actually the fourth best in the division, behind Leicester, Saracens and even Northampton Saints. That, of course however, doesn’t matter if you win games, as the Quarters certainly showed.

A ten game winning streak paved the way for success and, after overcoming Northampton 25-23 with a 77th minute try from England star Joe Marler in the semi-final of the play-offs, the Quins made their first ever Premiership final despites online casino USA sites betting against them.

Triumphant Quarters

It had been an unbelievable journey just to get to this point, but the Quins went one further and took the glory against Leicester in front of nearly 82,000 spectators. The infamous Tom Williams - who had been at the forefront of the Bloodgate scandal a mere three years earlier - and Chris Robshaw - who was later named man of the match - scored the tries as Nick Evans took home a 20-point haul of penalties and a conversion.

In doing so, Harlequins became only the third club to finish the season top of the table as well as claiming the title, following in the footsteps of Sale and Leicester and rounding off a tremendous year.

Recent tail-off

The Quins battled hard the following year, managing third as well as a semi-final place, but history didn’t repeat itself and no domestic silverware was forthcoming. The capital club have failed to reach the final since 2012 or the semi-finals since 2014 and are currently sat seventh in the Premiership table, level on points with London Irish in eighth. 

Premiership rugby will be returning on August 14 as the Quins host Sale at the Twickenham Stoop. See if the capital club can get anywhere near the 25/1 odds offered by the best online slots platforms for winning the title before the season started.

 

 

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