A “Road to Damascus” moment?
Yesterday (Sunday), probably mentally unbalanced by the effects of prolonged lockdown, I gritted my teeth and built my day around BT Sport’s ‘live’ coverage of the Premiership rugby match between Harlequins and Northampton Saints at the Stoop [commencing at 2.00pm, kick-off 3.00pm].
Having built a minor career for myself on the Rust as a disillusioned former fanatical fan of Quins documenting his gradually terminal frustration with the club to the point where he first gave up following rugby altogether and then his occasional column, I now return to this organ in order to record a more positive development.
I thoroughly enjoyed this extraordinary game and, whilst it hasn’t by any means entirely restored my faith in rugby union, it certainly reminded me of several reasons why it was once – and still could be – one of the most thrilling of sports.
Both teams are in with a shot at making the “top four” play-offs of this season’s weird Premiership and – arguably, given that the absence of crowds to an extent nullifies the effect of home advantage – the improving Saints had clearly arrived in south-west London intent upon “giving it a go”.
In one sense they had nothing to lose.
Meanwhile, true to their traditional “brilliant one minute, hopeless the next” reputation, after the shock departure of their director of rugby Paul Gustard a month ago Quins had unexpectedly raised their game and embarked upon a run of victories and/or close losses that has taken them up the league table, allegedly prompted by the players taking responsibility for their hitherto indifferent form and giving themselves a boot up the backside.
They are still to replace Gustard but – on this evidence – probably don’t even need to.
In bright sunshine the first half began with both teams throwing caution to the winds and never looking back.
After a sizzling, end-to-end, ding-dong battle they went in at half-time with Quins leading 27-12, having scored three tries to the visitors’ two.
The entertainment factor had been high, much of the play from both teams bewildering and sensational, and at the break studio host Craig Doyle and his guest pundits Austin Healey and Lawrence Dallaglio summed up what they’d witnessed as “bonkers”.
It was hard to believe that the second half would continue in the same vein and some observers didn’t want it to: when interviewed pitch-side during the second stanza Matt Ferguson, assistant Saints forwards coach, was incandescent, the gist of his comments being “We knew what we’d be in for coming to Quins, but quite why we’re playing like this as well, I have no idea!”.
Up in the commentary box ex-England lock Richard Kay also sympathised with the plight of the forwards, commenting – “they’re all staying in the middle of the pitch because the play is going back and forth so fast it allows them to save their energy!”
It couldn’t last. Saints dominated possession in the second 40 minutes, Quins resorted to stout defence. Saints huffed and puffed but just couldn’t narrow the points gap, even when – in the last 12 minutes – Quins had two forwards sin-binned.
At the final knockings during injury time Quins scored a clinching try to run out 37-19 winners with a 4-try bonus point.
“Bonkers” just about summed it up.
