A 24-point second-half turnaround - and four Paul Diggin tries - saw Saints record their first victory of 2007/08 over Harlequins by 29 points to 17. Barry Everitt scored Saints' other points with a try and two conversions. The Wanderers made it a double success with a 20-19 win over NL2 side Cambridge.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 29
HARLEQUINS 22
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Franklin's Gardens
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Following a promising performance last weekend Saints were looking for a good start against the visitors from Twickenham.
Powerful driving was the tool for early control by the home side but with a powerful break from Tosh Masson Quins were on the front foot. David Strettle lookalike Charlie Amesbury also emulated his injured team-mate with a break that needed a good tackle by Paul Diggin and Robbie Kydd to prevent a score.
Seb Stegman's try was reward for the pressure and Saints were fortunate to remain only five points down three minutes later as well when Ugo Monye's interception of a Kydd pass was called back for a knock on.
The play was brought to an abrupt halt by referee Chris White however when, following an attempted tackle on Bruce Reihana, Quins' fly-half Seb Jewell stayed down. The medics were in attendance quickly and Jewell arose - albeit groggily - to be replaced by Mike Brown.
The remainder of the quarter belonged to the Saints in territorial and possession terms. Successive penalties were kicked to the corner and there was also a five-metre scrum when the pack was held up. But a score remained elusive and there were gasps when Barry Everitt missed a short-range penalty.
Everitt also missed his second kick. But he could be forgiven as it was a touchline conversion of a Diggin try. Ian Vass set up the score with a quickly tapped free kick deep in Harlequins territory, but he also turned sinner from the kick-off by losing the ball in contact. Quins ran a simple move and Stegman had his second try.
Alex Rae was having a good day and his second collection of an Everitt kick-off had Saints back on the visitors' line. However it was Quins who scored next, again from a midfield break. This time it was Chris Robshaw who did the damage through the middle and Brown finished it off. Danny Care slotted the conversion for a 17-5 lead.
Care also came close to extending the lead when a promising Saints attack broke down on half-way. But his hack ahead bobbled into touch to end the last genuine chance of the half and the teams went into the break with the score remaining at Saints 5, Quins 17.
The opening salvos of the second half went the way of the Saints, thanks to a superb Mark Robinson break and some more powerful forward driving. 12 minutes into the half the pressure told as Diggin dived over for his second try. Carlos Spencer's incursion into line drew the defence in and his lovely slipped pass sent Diggin over unopposed.
Everitt again missed the touchline conversion but another Spencer break had the Quins defence split once more. A couple of forward drives went nowhere but Everitt's dancing feet had him between the sticks for the try. The conversion went over and the scores were tied at 17 with a quarter of the match remaining.
Tom Williams's yellow card for slapping the ball compounded the situation for Quins, and when the forwards won a scrum the ball went wide for Diggin to notch the first Saints hat-trick of the season. He wasn't doing Everitt any favours with the conversions however - this try again being scored in the corner - and though the goal went wide Saints still had the lead for the first time.
With seven minutes left this was extended by you-know-who on the right wing. Diggin's fourth try finished another move sparked by Spencer. The blond-haired former All Black chipped the rushing defence on his 22, collected and fed Clarke. His lovely timed pass had Diggin in space and over once more out wide.
Everitt's task was made easier by all of five metres. But he used the opportunity to slot the extras and take Saints to a 12-point lead. A late push by Quins foundered repeatedly on Saints' strong defence until deep in injury-time when Amesbury scored his side's fourth try.
It was too little, too late for the Quins and Saints go into the National League One season in good heart.
Teams:
Northampton Saints - Spencer; Diggin, Clarke, Kydd, Reihana (capt); Everitt, Vass (Robinson 40mins); Emms, Shields (Ward 74mins), Stewart (Sigley 68mins), Browne (Short 65mins), Rae, Rudzki (Tupai 65mins), Fox, Easter.
Harlequins - Williams; Amesbury, Monye (Brown 70mins), Masson, Stegman; Jewell (Brown 13-40mins), Care (Rhodes 61mins); Croall (Brooks 61mins), Brooker, Nebbett (Lambert 53-65mins), Percival (Inglis 53mins), Spanghero, Robson (Volley 40mins), Robshaw (capt), Davies.
Scorers:
Northampton Saints - Tries: Diggin (4), Everitt; Cons: Everitt (2).
Harlequins - Tries: Stegman (2), Brown, Amesbury; Con: Care.
Yellow card:
Williams (62mins)
Attendance:
6,525
TIMELINE:
7mins QUINS Try Stegman 0-5
25mins SAINTS Try Diggin 5-5
27mins QUINS Try Stegman 5-10
36mins QUINS Try Brown Con Care 5-17
HALF-TIME SAINTS 5 QUINS 17
52mins SAINTS Try Diggin 10-17
60mins SAINTS Try and Con Everitt 17-17
62mins QUINS Yellow card Williams
68mins SAINTS Try Diggin 22-17
74mins SAINTS Try Diggin Con Everitt 29-17
88mins QUINS Try Amesbury 29-22
FULL-TIME SAINTS 29 QUINS 22
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WANDERERS 20
CAMBRIDGE 19
The Wanderers were given a tough workout by ambitious National League Two side Cambridge.
Always a threat from full-back, Will Harries opened the scoring early in the first half. Stephen Myler scored a try and conversion soon after and at 12-nil things were looking comfortable for the white-clad Wanderers.
Luke Fielden scored a first-half converted reply for the visitors but with Myler's late penalty the half-time score was Wanderers 15, Cambridge 7.
Jon Vickers' try after the break took the lead out once more. However with tries for James Shanahan and Stefan Liebenberg Cambridge had pulled the deficit to a solitary point with five minutes remaining.
The Wanderers held out - thanks in part to a lovely piece of play at the scrum base by Rob Milligan - and recorded their first win of the season.
Teams:
Wanderers - Harries; Brake, Anderson, Downey (Hoyles 40mins), Smith; Myler, Howard (Rainbow 69mins); Vickers, Ward (Gray 40mins), Sigley (Purbrook 40mins), Hoy, Cannon, Lawes (Giles 67mins), Bradford (Sharp 78mins), Hopley (capt)(Milligan 51mins).
Cambridge - Fielden; Reed, Barnard, Shanahan, Lombaard; Cull, Liebenberg; Ross (capt), Hoad, Fallon, Candlin, Harlock, Ball, Humphry (Blom 40mins), Phillips.
Scorers:
Wanderers - Tries: Harries, Myler, Vickers; Con: Myler; Pen: Myler.
Cambridge - Tries: Fielden, Shanahan, Liebenberg; Cons: Cull (2).
