Harlequins (7) 14
Tries: Evans, Williams Cons: Evans, Malone Gloucester (3) 9
Pens: Barkley 3  Nick Evans scored the first try of the match with a fine solo effort |
Harlequins kept in touch with the Guinness Premiership play-off places but Gloucester's losing bonus point was enough to send them back to the top. Harlequins went ahead when Nick Evans raced over and converted his own try. Olly Barkley landed three penalties, either side of the break, to give the visitors a 9-7 lead. Chris Malone missed two penalties for Quins but in a pulsating finish Tom Williams scored a match-winning 76th-minute try and Malone converted. As hard-grafting number eights Quins boss Dean Richards and Gloucester counterpart Dean Ryan may both have been happier in the tight rather than roaming about in the wide open spaces but their sides are among the most attractive in the Premiership. With the Twickenham Stoop bathed in glorious sunshine both sides tried to play their favoured pacy, expansive game, but hugely committed defence meant it was a low-scoring encounter. The respective fly-halves, Evans and Carlos Spencer, are both former All Blacks and they each started brightly, with Evans collecting the first points of the match. He missed an early penalty but after Mike Brown counter-attacked the Quins fly-half sliced through the first line of Gloucester defence and then beat full-back Iain Balshaw with a half-dummy and sharp step off the left to score under the posts. He added the conversion to reward Quins for their bright start with a seven-point lead but Gloucester then began to come into the game.  | 606: DEBATE |
The visitors missed the chance to open their account when Barkley hooked a penalty badly wide but he finally got them on the board just before the 15-minute mark. Evans then missed for Quins and with Barkley landing a second penalty for the Cherry and Whites, Harlequins led by just a point at the break after a physical opening 40 minutes. The hosts lost Evans at the break as the flu their playmaker had been fighting in the lead up to the game finally took its toll, and Barkley edged Gloucester into a 9-7 lead soon after the restart. After the opening stages the west Country side had gained a slight edge but they were struggling to break down the multi-coloured Harlequins defensive line. As the game went past the hour mark Harlequins finally battled their way into Gloucester territory and launched a 10-phase assault, only for the visitors to turn them over just a yard from the try-line. They were reprieved when Gloucester were immediately penalised but Malone, on for Evans, badly missed his penalty attempt. The Australian then missed with a second attempt but Quins refused to be beaten and after another sustained attack and with the final whistle looming Williams darted over under the posts following a powerful carry by Jordan Turner-Hall. Malone could not miss from under the sticks but his conversion was not enough to deny Gloucester the losing bonus-point that sends them back to the top of the table.
Harlequins rugby director Dean Richards:
"The beauty of it is that everybody buys into the way we want to play. "There's no point scoring a lot if we leak a lot as well. It's testament to our defence and to the coaches. "It was important to win today for a number of reasons. First we are at home and we enjoy playing in front of what I think is a fantastic crowd. "And looking at it from a league perspective it's vital we win these games to keep our hopes alive. It would be very nice to get into the play-offs and there's an opportunity for us to do it." Richards on Nick Evans' withdrawal at half-time:
"He was feeling ill during the week and started to feel tired towards the end of the first-half. "It was a precautionary measure - I thought it would be the wrong thing to do to keep him on." Gloucester rugby director Dean Ryan:
"We worked hard enough to win, but when we keep putting ourselves under pressure these things are going to happen. "We have a responsibility to get ourselves out of there. The last thing I want is this side to be a kicking side, but you have to protect yourself and we are just not doing it well enough. "We did get a bonus point away from home, but I'm frustrated because I want this side to be so much better. "I'm not one to analyse the last minute. Our faults lay earlier in the game."
Harlequins: Brown; Strettle, Tiesi, Turner-Hall, T Williams; N Evans, Gomarsall; Jones, Botha, Ross, Kohn, Robson, Robshaw, Skinner, Guest. Replacements: Monye for Brown (55), Malone for N Evans (41), Poluleuligaga for Gomarsall (62), J. Evans for Kohn (51). Not Used: Croall, Lambert, Mcmillan. Gloucester: Balshaw; Sharples, Trinder, Barkley, Simpson-Daniel; Spencer, R Lawson; Wood, Titterrell, Somerville, Bortolami, Brown, Narraway, Hazell, Delve. Replacements: Allen for Trinder (43), Lamb for Spencer (62), Azam for Titterrell (50), Eustace for Bortolami (50), Satala for Hazell (77). Not Used: Dickinson, Foster. Att: 12,638 Ref: Dave Pearson (Newcastle).
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