Paddy Lennon reports from the Twickenham Stoop.
What really happened at in the London Irish changing room at half-time? That’s the question everyone wanted answered after the most dramatic turnaround in a Guinness Premiership match this season to date.
Trailing 20-3 with one minute of the first half remaining, London Irish were out of the match. Then came a classic kick and chase out of defence by the Exiles. Peter Hewat lashed the ball through midfield through the Harlequins defence, Delon Armitage led the chase after a ball that was bouncing wickedly. The outside centre waited for a microsecond for the ball to gain sufficient height to grab it cleanly and beat the chasing defenders to touch down in the left corner. Although Hewat missed the difficult conversion from a metre inside the left touchline, Irish had the boost of going into the break trailing by 12 points and not 17.
As to what happened during that crucial 15 minute break, let Toby Booth take up the story. “Despite what people might think the half-time talk was very calm and calculated. Quins are a very good team at the breakdown and you cannot afford in this Premiership to give the ball back to them. With a penalty count (in their favour) of 7:3 and a turnover count of 7:1, you’re going to make things difficult for yourself.”
London Irish certainly had made things difficult for themselves in the opening half. On a warm, sunny, autumn afternoon in front of an 11,000 crowd, Harlequins showed why they are among the form teams of the opening rounds of this season’s Premiership campaign. Playing behind an aggressive pack and prompted by the lively Danny Care at scrum half and with Chris Malone showing the versatility of his tactical kicking, the home team dominated the first half.
London Irish struggled to win any quality possession. When they did there was a propensity to turnover possession through errors, many unforced. Combine that with giving away penalties and a tendency for players to operate independently, it was unsurprising that the home team dominated possession and territory.
An early exchange of penalties by Hewat and Malone appeared to herald a close contest but nothing could be further from the reality as the half unfolded. In the 10th minute Harlequins won a lineout, Malone passed to David Strettle, the England winger showed his pace with a 40 metre break through midfield, the ball was recycled to Ugo Monye on the left. He had just enough time and pace to beat Topsy Ojo’s attempted tackle and touch down in the corner. Malone added the extras with a fine conversion from the touchline.
Encouraged by the score and with Care and Malone pulling the strings, Harlequins had the better of the exchanges. Chris Hala’Ufia worked hard to create a platform for Irish and Delon Armitage and Sailosi Tagicakibau always threatened when they had possession but that was rare.
Malone stretched his team’s lead with his second penalty in the 18th minute. Seilala Mapusua who led by example throughout the game, combined with David Paice to sythe through the home defence just after the mid-point of the half but the England hooker was stopped with the tryline in his sights.
Minutes later as Paice was being treated on the pitch Referee Richards in a bizarre decision allowed play to continue around the hooker. Quins drove upfield and a three phase move ended with Mike Brown finding Tom Guest with a well judged cut-out pass. The strong No 8 powered over for his team’s second try. Malone kicked the conversion to give his team a 20-3 lead.
The home team tried to build on their lead and only brave defence by Irish kept the Quins’ pack from creating more scoring opportunities for their lively backs to capitalise on. As the relief of the half-time interval loomed, Hewat and Delon Armitage intervened and Irish went in trailing by two scores and not three.
Just two minutes after the restart Irish had a chance to reduce the lead further but Eoghan Hickey’s penalty drifted narrowly wide. However, it was the Exiles that were looking more threatening.
Bob Casey replaced Gary Johnson and Elvis Sevealii took over from Hickey in the 45th minute, substitutions that were to prove crucial as the half developed.
Malone had a chance to extend Quins’ lead in the 48th minute but missed with a penalty. A let-off for Irish and one that only lifted their confidence. Two minutes later the outstanding Nick Kennedy stole a Quins’ lineout. Gonzalo Tiesi was penalised for tackling Hala’Ufia without the ball but Hewat missed the kick at goal.
Paul Hodgson took over from Peter Richards in the 52nd minute and had an immediate influence on the way Irish were playing. A supply of quicker ball from the breakdown meant that Mapusua and Sevealii became even more of a threat to the home defence.
As the game entered its final quarter, Danie Coetzee and Tonga Lea’aetoa replaced Paice and Faan Rautenbach respectively to telling effect. Irish continued to press as the home team wilted and were penalised for offside. Hewat sent the ball between the posts to reduce the lead to 20-11.
Irish attacked from the restart, driving the ball upfield through Steffon Armitage, he was supported by Hala’Ufia and Hewat who found Delon Armitage with a swift pass that caught out the home defence and the outside centre cut through for a crucial score. Hewat added the conversion to leave the score at 20-18.
The home team regrouped and came back at Irish but another lineout steal, this time by Casey, indicated Irish’s determination. Quins launched another attack in the 67th minute with the pack driving through midfield. Chris Robshaw attempted to pass to the left just inside Irish’s 40 metre line. However, Peter Hewat now playing at fly half, intercepted the ball and raced downfield turning on an extra burst of pace in Michael Jordan style to outstrip the home defenders and touch down just right of the posts. He added the extra points with the conversion and Irish had a five point lead. An extraordinary turnaround with 13 minutes to play.
Casey’s influence was vital in the following minutes. He could be seen talking to his players asking for extra effort and control. Quins conceded a penalty for an offence in the ruck in the 72nd minute. Hewat’s kick from 37 metres on the right struck the right upright but bounced over the bar! With an eight point lead, Irish knew Harlequins had to score twice with eight minutes on the clock.
The home team threw everything at Irish, fresh players were introduced as they sought to retrieve a game that they had dominated for so long. A concerted drive into the Irish half brought the game to five metres of the Exiles’ tryline. While Irish defended for their lives the momentum was with the home team and the irrepressible Care picked the ball up from the side of a ruck and wriggled over for a try which Waisea Luveniyali, who had replaced Malone in the 73rd minute, converted to reduce the lead to one point.
There ensued a frenetic finale as first Irish tried to run down the clock in the Quins’ 22. While the tactic worked there was no break in play and the home team won possession and ensured that the ball remained in play. Anxious seconds ticked by as Quins worked downfield, Irish held their discipline and did not concede a penalty. As Quins attempted to create a final attack Tom Williams dropped the ball on the Exiles’ 10 metre line and the referee blew his whistle to bring relief and joy to London Irish and their supporters. It was obvious from the celebrations afterwards that no victory tastes as sweet for Exiles’ fans as those at the Stoop!
Scorers: Harlequins: Tries: Monye (10), Guest (27), Care (78); Conversions: Malone 2, Luveniyali. Penalty goals: Malone 2 (6, 18). London Irish: Tries: Armitage D 2 (39, 61),Hewat (67); Conversions: Hewat 2. Penalty goals: Hewat 3 (2, 60, 72).
Scoring sequence (Harlequins first): 0-3, 3-3, 10-3, 13-3, 20-3, 20-8 (half-time) 20-11, 20-18, 20-25, 20-28, 27-28.
Harlequins: 15. M Brown, 14. D Strettle, 13. G Tiesi, 12. J Turner-Hall, 11. U Monye (rep: T Williams, 74), 10. C Malone (rep: W Luveniyali, 73), 9. D Care, 1. C Jones, 2. G Botha (rep: T Fuga, 67), 3. M Ross (rep: M Lambert, 73), 4. O Kohn (rep: G Robson, 67), 5. J Evans, 6. N Easter (rep: C Robshaw, 48), 7. W Skinner (captain), 8. T Guest.
London Irish: 15. P Hewat, 14. T Ojo, 13. D Armitage, 12. S Mapusua (captain), 11. S Tagicakibau, 10. E Hickey (rep. E Sevealii, 45), 9. P Richards (rep. P Hodgson, 52), 1. A Corbisiero, 2. D Paice (rep. D Coetzee, 58), 3. F Rautenbach (rep. T Lea’aetoa, 61), 4. N Kennedy, 5. G Johnson (rep. G Johnson, 45), 6. R Thorpe, 7.S Armitage(rep. J Fisher, 75), 8. C Hala’Ufia.
Referee: D Richards (RFU)
Attendance: 11,007