Harlequins 19-26 Montpellier
By Nick Powell at the Grand Stade de Lyon
Harlequins missed out on Challenge Cup glory in Conor O'Shea's last game as they were out-thought and out-fought by a brutal Montpellier side in Lyon.
Quins looked more bright in the early stages but Montpellier moved into the lead on 25 minutes as Jesse Mogg crossed for a soft try.
The London side came back into the game on the stroke of half-time, but Mogg leapt above George Lowe to deliver a hammer blow that would ultimately be too much to chase down.
Marland Yarde crossed late on, but Quins failed to convert their late pressure and missed out on a place in the Champions Cup next season as Ben Botica ended his Harlequins career with an inexplicable kick to hand Montpellier possesion which won them the game.
After last week's 62-24 thrashing at the hands of Exeter, Quins were under huge amounts of pressure to win, defeat would mean that Conor O'Shea would leave the club with consecutive defeats, and a side that had been second in the league and had the maximum 25 points from 5 games in their Challenge Cup group would have thrown away their European chances in both competitions.
They ultimately came up against a side that was vastly more confident than them, bigger and under a lot less pressure and they could not prevent a defeat which could have huge financial consequences and will continue the decline of a team that were Premiership Champions, top of the league and in a Heineken Cup just over 3 years ago.
As the game got underway, Quins made the brighter start of the two sides and worked their way into the Montpellier half where a penalty helped earn them an early lead. Montpellier quickly equalized however, after a turnover in the Quins 22, they were forced to carry it into their dead ball area through Yarde. A penalty from the resulting scrum levelled things at 3-3.
Quins continued to press and some clever kicks got them to within 5 yards of the try line.
Montpellier did regain the ball but could not prevent Quins running back and earning a penalty to regain the lead in the 22. Evans missed however, and Quins' early momentum started to fade.
Mike Brown, an England starter for so many years, compounded his recent dire form with a simple high ball drop and two poor kicks which helped Montpellier grow back into the game.
Montpellier got the try of the game and it was Jesse Mogg, coming on for the injured Benjamin fall, who finished it off in the corner. It was owed much to the brutal carrying of Paul Willemse, and then the quick shift Francois Steyn gave the French side with his pass to the left. The ball went through hands and Mogg finished in the corner, shrugging off a brown tackle.
Quins were now a try down and as underdogs, needed a response. They didn't initially get it however, Montpellier's driving maul, which had already caused Quins problems in the early minutes, milked them a penalty which opened the gap up to 10, with kicker Catrakillis retaining his 100% record.
The London side did show some pre-half time resilience however, they won the next restart and despite Montpellier holding them up and earning a scrum, Captain Danny Care forced a knock on from Pierre Spies which resulted in an offside penalty and Evans cut the gap to a converted try. This was chipped away at further almost straight from the restart. After Quins earned a penalty from that restart they kicked upfield and Horwill was taken out at the lineout. Evans landed a 40m penalty to give Quins a real chance heading into the break at 9-13.
The third quarter would be crucial and it ultimately won Montpellier the game, despite Quins having some brilliant opportunities and good moments. The first of these came just 3 minutes in. After kicking into enemy territory a deliberate knock on gave Evans a kickable penalty to get Quins within 1. The former all-black missed and Quins were soon made to pay.
Montpellier earned a penalty and then had their chance for points as they moved into Quins' half. Another brutal driving maul took them up to within a few metres. They had the penalty advantage, and gambled with a speculative kick. George Lowe failed to gather it and Mogg duly arrived to wrap up his brace and all-but end Quins' faint hopes.
This was damaged further by two penalties in another 10 minute spell which flattered the French team, but hurt Quins. Quins once again attacked but Twomey couldn't hold onto a simple lineout throw and Montpellier cleared up-field. Brown was isolated after a quick Yarde lineout and Montpellier caught Quins holding on and moved two converted scores ahead. Quins would have two more chances blown, and Montpellier were the side that moved 17 points clear through Catrakillis' fine boot.
Quins were running out of time and eventually scored a much needed try thanks to Marland Yarde. They put some good phases together with notable line breaks coming from Lowe up the left and Robshaw down the middle getting them into the positions before the ball found Brown, who's perfectly weighted grubber sat up for Yarde who gave Quins hope by dotting down.
Soon the gap was down to a reachable 7. Quins worked up-field and earned a penalty in the Montpellier half which they kicked into the 22. Their one successful driving maul of the game brought a penalty and Botica quickly slotted it. So this was his moment, 5 crucial points and an injection of pace into the game which had livened up Quins. 60 metres out into overtime and the Kiwi had the ball in his hands.
Bizarrely, the Montpellier-bound fly half kicked the ball up-field, giving his future club the ball and the chance to smash the it out and end proceedings. It capped off a sad day for Quins, but ultimately they were dominated by a team in excellent form.
Quins won just 4 of the 13 games after Conor O Shea announced his departure and it really showed. Montpellier, looked and felt more confident and it enabled them to play the way they wanted, which was the bludgeon of the forwards exhausting their opponents.
They will be hoping to have another crack at the title in Edinburgh next season and a vastly improved league performance, as John Kingston embarks on his new journey as Director of Rugby.
Views from the Dressing Room:
Conor O Shea (BBC Radio 5 Live): "There are always regrets but you have to look back on the achievements, I've seen a load of people grow up in front of my eyes and I am proud to call them friends as well as colleagues. That's sport.
"They played outstandingly for each other tonight. They will be back"
By Nick Powell at the Grand Stade de Lyon
Harlequins missed out on Challenge Cup glory in Conor O'Shea's last game as they were out-thought and out-fought by a brutal Montpellier side in Lyon.
Quins looked more bright in the early stages but Montpellier moved into the lead on 25 minutes as Jesse Mogg crossed for a soft try.
The London side came back into the game on the stroke of half-time, but Mogg leapt above George Lowe to deliver a hammer blow that would ultimately be too much to chase down.
Marland Yarde crossed late on, but Quins failed to convert their late pressure and missed out on a place in the Champions Cup next season as Ben Botica ended his Harlequins career with an inexplicable kick to hand Montpellier possesion which won them the game.
After last week's 62-24 thrashing at the hands of Exeter, Quins were under huge amounts of pressure to win, defeat would mean that Conor O'Shea would leave the club with consecutive defeats, and a side that had been second in the league and had the maximum 25 points from 5 games in their Challenge Cup group would have thrown away their European chances in both competitions.
They ultimately came up against a side that was vastly more confident than them, bigger and under a lot less pressure and they could not prevent a defeat which could have huge financial consequences and will continue the decline of a team that were Premiership Champions, top of the league and in a Heineken Cup just over 3 years ago.
As the game got underway, Quins made the brighter start of the two sides and worked their way into the Montpellier half where a penalty helped earn them an early lead. Montpellier quickly equalized however, after a turnover in the Quins 22, they were forced to carry it into their dead ball area through Yarde. A penalty from the resulting scrum levelled things at 3-3.
Quins continued to press and some clever kicks got them to within 5 yards of the try line.
Montpellier did regain the ball but could not prevent Quins running back and earning a penalty to regain the lead in the 22. Evans missed however, and Quins' early momentum started to fade.
Evans missed the chance to give Quins a 6-3 lead
Montpellier got the try of the game and it was Jesse Mogg, coming on for the injured Benjamin fall, who finished it off in the corner. It was owed much to the brutal carrying of Paul Willemse, and then the quick shift Francois Steyn gave the French side with his pass to the left. The ball went through hands and Mogg finished in the corner, shrugging off a brown tackle.
Quins were now a try down and as underdogs, needed a response. They didn't initially get it however, Montpellier's driving maul, which had already caused Quins problems in the early minutes, milked them a penalty which opened the gap up to 10, with kicker Catrakillis retaining his 100% record.
The London side did show some pre-half time resilience however, they won the next restart and despite Montpellier holding them up and earning a scrum, Captain Danny Care forced a knock on from Pierre Spies which resulted in an offside penalty and Evans cut the gap to a converted try. This was chipped away at further almost straight from the restart. After Quins earned a penalty from that restart they kicked upfield and Horwill was taken out at the lineout. Evans landed a 40m penalty to give Quins a real chance heading into the break at 9-13.
Committed ball carrying gave Quins a decent half-time position
The third quarter would be crucial and it ultimately won Montpellier the game, despite Quins having some brilliant opportunities and good moments. The first of these came just 3 minutes in. After kicking into enemy territory a deliberate knock on gave Evans a kickable penalty to get Quins within 1. The former all-black missed and Quins were soon made to pay.
Montpellier earned a penalty and then had their chance for points as they moved into Quins' half. Another brutal driving maul took them up to within a few metres. They had the penalty advantage, and gambled with a speculative kick. George Lowe failed to gather it and Mogg duly arrived to wrap up his brace and all-but end Quins' faint hopes.
This was damaged further by two penalties in another 10 minute spell which flattered the French team, but hurt Quins. Quins once again attacked but Twomey couldn't hold onto a simple lineout throw and Montpellier cleared up-field. Brown was isolated after a quick Yarde lineout and Montpellier caught Quins holding on and moved two converted scores ahead. Quins would have two more chances blown, and Montpellier were the side that moved 17 points clear through Catrakillis' fine boot.
Quins missed key chances at key times
Soon the gap was down to a reachable 7. Quins worked up-field and earned a penalty in the Montpellier half which they kicked into the 22. Their one successful driving maul of the game brought a penalty and Botica quickly slotted it. So this was his moment, 5 crucial points and an injection of pace into the game which had livened up Quins. 60 metres out into overtime and the Kiwi had the ball in his hands.
Bizarrely, the Montpellier-bound fly half kicked the ball up-field, giving his future club the ball and the chance to smash the it out and end proceedings. It capped off a sad day for Quins, but ultimately they were dominated by a team in excellent form.
Quins won just 4 of the 13 games after Conor O Shea announced his departure and it really showed. Montpellier, looked and felt more confident and it enabled them to play the way they wanted, which was the bludgeon of the forwards exhausting their opponents.
O Shea left on a miserably low note after Quins' embarassing second half of a season
They will be hoping to have another crack at the title in Edinburgh next season and a vastly improved league performance, as John Kingston embarks on his new journey as Director of Rugby.
Views from the Dressing Room:
Conor O Shea (BBC Radio 5 Live): "There are always regrets but you have to look back on the achievements, I've seen a load of people grow up in front of my eyes and I am proud to call them friends as well as colleagues. That's sport.
"They played outstandingly for each other tonight. They will be back"
Comments
Post a Comment