Cardiff Harlequins 17 – 1 Warwick University

Zenith West Division 1

6th February 2010

If there’s one thing predictable about Welsh sport, its that the weather is never predictable. Cardiff have suffered postponements and relocated matches due to ice, snow and heavy rain already this season so it was with some surprise that the teams arrived at a Diamond Ground sparkling in the winter sun. That was the only unpredictable thing about this match however, which stayed true to the form book, almost to the letter.

Attackman and leading scorer Rhodri Stanford got the ball rolling for the hosts, off a Will Barrett feed and that score was soon followed by the returning Gareth Bolderson, making his first appearance for the 1st team this season, again off a Barrett pass. Warwick were much improved on the team that lost to a ten-man Harlequins outfit at the end of October, controlling and moving the ball with confidence. However, they lacked a cutting edge in attack and the Quins backline of Andy Ford, Dave Austin and Nathan Harding gave more than adequate protection to Phill Pexton between the sticks.

The lack of recent matches was clearly evident in the workrate displayed across the Harlequins side. Austin, Ford and Harding made repeated sorties into the offensive end, and not to be outdone, goalkeeper Pexton also drove the team forward with more than a couple of scintillating runs upfield. Most impressive of all, and most encouraging for future seasons, was the tenacity and aggression of the Harlequins ride. Time and again, the attack trio of Stanford, Barrett and Bolderson were able to turn the ball over from a Warwick attempted clear, thanks in no small part to the diligence of the midfield in preventing easy outlet passes.

James ‘Hamish’ Tiley was dominant at face-off, and grabbed a brace including the third goal of the game barely seconds after Bolderson had scored the second. Midfielder Chris Lee weighed in with a pair as did skipper Adam Grey, capitalising on tireless running from James Gibson and Dave Elmes. Once again though, it was the passing and vision of the Harlequins offense which caught the eye as they tallied 13 assisted goals out of 17 – the lion’s share of which came from Barrett, who racked up a record 8 assists for the day.

The only blemish in the goals against column appeared late in the final quarter as legs and minds began to tire, but Harlequins will not be unduly concerned. With a potential rematch against Warwick in the Flags semi-final, Cardiff will be pleased to have laid down a marker but perhaps more satisfying will be the continued improvement with each game, despite the interference of the Welsh weather.