CORNISH PIRATES 8 NEC HARLEQUINS 29 27-03-2006
HARLEQUINS are within touching distance of a return to the Premiership after they became the first side this season to inflict a league double on the Cornish Pirates. Having defeated Jim McKay’s Pirates 50-6 at The Stoop back in November, the Twickenham-based aristocrats once again had too much for their Cornish hosts, who despite producing an impressive first half display, were unable to repeat the feat after the break as the visitors pressed home their authority with deadly effect.
With a record 6,000 sell-out crowd packed into Kenwyn, it was an electric atmosphere – stoked up by the appearance of the unique Falmouth Marine Band – which welcomed the two sides onto the sodden surface. But despite the tricky underfoot conditions, it was the home side – making the most of a howling crossfield wind – that started the game the brighter. Indeed, with just four minutes on the clock they were handed the ideal opportunity to break the deadlock when Harlequins were penalised for crossing. Sadly, Lee Jarvis’ long-range penalty caught on the wind and drifted wide of the uprights. It was certainly a let-off for the visitors who, with their first meaningful attack five minutes later, opened the scoring courtesy of Ugo Monye. The England Sevens applied the finishing touches to a slick Quins move – one that started on the right with a line-out and was then shipped at pace along their back division to full-back Tom Williams, who despite being halted by a superb tackle from opposite number Duncan Roke, was able to offload to team-mate Monye to cross. Fly-half Adrian Jarvis – who got the nod ahead of legendary All Blacks star Andrew Mehrtens for the visitors number ten shirt – converted, before adding a penalty on 19 minutes as Quins pulled clear at 10-0 up. Despite the scoreline, it was the Pirates who continued to dominate both possession and territory - and only some neat defensive work from Monye prevented Kevin James from latching onto a clever crossfield kick from Lee Jarvis. As strains of ‘Pirates, Pirates, Pirates’ bellowed out from all four corners of the ground, the home side finally found their breakthrough on 23 minutes when determined running from Namibian lock Heino Senekal created the opening for skipper Gavin Cattle to snipe over from close range. Welshman Jarvis was unable to convert, but atoned moments later when he punished Andre Vos’ indiscretion at a ruck to leave just two points in it. Sadly, though, this was to be the closest the Pirates came to their visitors for the remainder of the game as Harlequins re-established their healthy buffer with a second converted try on the half-hour. A dubious scrum awarded on the right flank again allowed the Harlequins’ back division to show off their slick handling, this time Williams was the beneficiary when he applied the finishing touches following Simon Keogh’s lightning break down the left wing. With the half all but up, Lee Jarvis could have reduced the arrears with a second penalty, but once again the tricky conditions played havoc with his shot on goal, leaving the teams to turn round 17-8 to Quins. It did not get any better for the home side, who despite withstanding a barrage of early attacks from the visitors, promptly gifted Harlequins a third try on 51 minutes when Cattle’s attempt at a quick tap penalty inside his own 22 saw him snuffled up by three opposition tacklers, the ball flew loose to Keogh who needed no reminding where the line was, the diminutive winger darting over in the left-hand corner for Adrian Jarvis to convert. Although the Pirates looked to introduce some fresh muscle into the fray, some astute play from visiting half-backs Steve So’oialo, Jarvis and later Mehrtens, continually kept the home side on the back foot. Indeed, it was not until ten minutes from time that the Pirates were able to really engage their visitors into some defensive work inside their own half. Their hearty endeavours, though, were to prove shortlived as Quins wrapped up the game with a late try from England World Cup winner Will Greenwood. For
the Pirates it will be back to the drawing board this summer in a bid to find
that formula that takes to the promised land of the Premiership. For Harlequins,
however, top-flight rugby beckons once more. |
|---|
