Taggart’s try secures victory for Quins!
Quins had to dig deep for their much-needed first AIL win in a scrappy and edgy clash at a rain-lashed Deramore to end their 3 game losing sequence.
BELFAST HARLEQUINS 18
BLACKROCK COLLEGE 6
BY MARTIN SAVAGE
It was a hard slog for the home side who had to battle hard against the dreadful conditions and their own inability to put points on the board before coming out the other side with this valuable two try victory. CLICK HERE for superb pictures even in the conditions
Indeed, it was only Frank Taggart’s 78th minute try – which came off a powerful Quins’ maul, an area which they had been dominant all afternoon – that the game secured for coach Adam Larkin’s men who had struggled to get the scoreboard moving and indeed failed to do so between the end of the first quarter and and the 72nd minute when Liam Cambridge had struck a sweet drop goal.
Indeed the out half only redeemed himself with his place-kicking in the game’s closing moments when his drop goal and conversion of Taggart’s try – tagged on to his first half penalty – allowed him to end with making three kicks from seven attempts in what were, admittedly, less than benign conditions.
Cambridge had opened the scoring in the third minute with his second penalty attempt to put Quins in front and then was wide again after 12 minutes during an opening spell in which the home side were dominant.
Indeed, a strong attack down the right led to Tom Fraser’s 15th minute score when the hooker drove over from close-in but Cambridge missed the extras.
With the rain now torrential, the game became an error-fest though Dave Godfrey’s first chance to kick points for Blackrock also went wide in the tricky conditions but he made no mistake right on half-time when Quins were punished for scooping a ball back at a ruck.
Leading 8-3 at the break, and with the weather improving, Quins tried to push on early in the second half but Cambridge missed again from a long range penalty shot after Rock strayed offside from a high kick.
The game then degenerated into a shapeless encounter with both sides seemingly content to kick the ball at each other and hope for to force an error.
Quins, despite struggling in the scrums, managed to take some territorial control after the hour mark but on two occasions, when their much improved lineout launched attacks through their impressive driving maul, they lost possession and Rock were able to clear.
But Quins stuck at it and Cambridge’s beautifully struck drop goal on 72 minutes gave them an 11-3 lead which was almost immediately wiped out through Godfrey’s second penalty.
Still, Quins rolled up their sleeves and another big maul off a lineout saw Taggart touchdown with two minutes of normal time remaining. Cambridge even struck a great conversion and Quins’ first win was finally in the bag.
