Portsmouth University 3 - 21 Cardiff Harlequins
SEMLA Intermediate Flags, 2nd Round
21st January 2009
Perhaps Cardiff prefer to think of themselves as underdogs. It seems odd to cast them as such, given they had won both previous encounters between these two sides and are current holders of the SEMLA Intermediate Flags, but the feeling in the dressing room before the game was that Quins had something to prove against a side who had signalled a recent improvement in form with the narrowest of defeats to title hopefuls Cheltenham. Without substitutes, Cardiff needed to play a tactical game, preserving possession and conserving energy and the final score of 21-3 to Harlequins was testament to the discipline with which they stuck to the plan.
Cardiff settled quickly, zipping the ball about and working the journey out of some stiff legs. Former skipper Will Barrett got Quins off the mark on an extra man opportunity and followed it a couple of minutes later, beating his man from the wings and firing low into the net. Harlequins were controlling the pace of the match, with all 6 short-stick players moving between midfield and attack, and plenty of aggression from the long-stick defenders shutting down the Portsmouth attackmen. By the end of the first quarter, Cardiff were well in the ascendancy with a 6-0 lead.
Whatever was said by the Portsmouth captain during the break had obviously rung in some ears, as the hosts came out fighting. Cardiff scored early on but spent much more time in defence than in the first quarter and the hosts finally converted possession into a goal after a breakdown in communication in the Quins defence. Portsmouth added a second not long after to close the gap to four, but found themselves unable to breakdown the visitors’ defence with any regularity allowing Cardiff to slow the pace whenever they retrieved possession. Quins were moving the ball quickly and accurately, and continued to find space with incisive off-ball movement. Further scores, including a sumptuous inside roll dodge from midfielder Chris Lee stretched the lead to 11-2 at the halftime whistle.
Quins remained firmly in control for the rest of the game, despite the cold weather causing Barrett to cramp and limit his movement. Without substitutes, the remaining midfield and attack fought hard to minimise the impediment, as the earlier discipline in preserving energy paid dividends. Goals from Croft, Morgan, Lee and Barrett extended the lead, and whilst Grindle was kept busy in the Cardiff goal, the only score from Portsmouth came on an unsettled man-down play. Quins were well worth their 21-3 victory, playing an intelligent game and thoroughly deserving of their place in the semi-finals against a highly-regarded Croydon outfit.
Bath 2s 7 – 7 Cardiff Harlequins A
Zenith West Division 2
Harlequins travelled to the west country with a minimum of 10 players to face a large 18-man Bath squad. In such circumstances, they could easily have been run off the park, but the stamina and mental toughness of the visitors meant they not only competed but could easily have won the match. The sides were tied at 2-2 at the end of the first quarter before Cardiff opened up a 2 goal lead over the middle periods. However, those extra pairs of legs reaped their rewards in the last quarter as Bath pegged the visitors back and levelled the score at 7-7 by the final whistle. Co-captain Nick Mahoney once again lead the scoring for Quins with 4 goals, with further tallies added by James Gibson, Rhys Jones and Nathan Harding. The result, whilst disappointing for Harlequins, changes little in the promotion race – all still rests on whether Quins can overcome league leaders Penarth when they meet in 3 weeks time.
