A sublime hat-trick from Archie McParland secured Northampton Saints’ fourth win of this season’s PREM Rugby Cup, as the men in Black, Green and Gold downed Harlequins 40-24 in Round 8.
Harlequins shot out to a 19-0 lead at Twickenham Stoop after only half an hour, but from there Northampton turned on the heat and scored 40 points while conceding just five in return.
Player-of-the-match McParland’s hat-trick was accompanied by Anthony Belleau and Ollie Sleightholme efforts, before Northampton’s forwards stepped into the limelight and sealed Saints’ win with an enormous scrum and resulting penalty try at the death.
FIRST HALF
Despite Saints having the lion’s share of early possession, it was the home side who struck first – when scrum-half Max Green spotted space in behind Northampton’s line and sent a deft chip through, which Tom Lawday got to first for the score.
After 12 minutes, Northampton found themselves down to 14 men when Luke Green was shown a yellow card for a dangerous clearout. Despite their reduced numbers, Saints immediately put themselves on the attack; Amena Caqusau broke through into Quins’ half and found James Ramm on his shoulder, but the final pass to Sleightholme went over the winger’s head and into touch.
The hosts made the most of their extra man at the end of the first quarter, sending Luke Yendle over from close range after a period of pressure. Jamie Benson’s second conversion of the night made it 14-0 and Quins would stretch their lead again when they sent the ball through the hands to put Cassius Cleaves over on the left.
But Saints’ first score of the evening was a peach. Toby Thame broke free into Quins’ 22 before finding Belleau on his shoulder, and the fly-half muscled his way forwards before popping the ball inside to his scrum-half. McParland still had one man to beat, but duly did so and crossed under the posts.
The scrum-half grabbed a spectacular second just before the interval when he got onto the shoulder of a rampaging Ramm on a sensational break. Again, McParland had work to do, and this time stepped his way around three defenders before diving over.
SECOND HALF
Belleau’s conversion before the break had taken the scores to 19-14 but it was once again Quins who drew first blood in the second half, sending Cameron Anderson over on the right after again putting the ball through the hands again to score their bonus-point try.
But then it was back to McParland, who was at the heart of Saints’ third. The 20-year-old danced through Quins’ line inside the home 22 and then deftly freed his hands to get the pass away and put Belleau in on the right.
Saints had a pair of chances on the hour mark, when Caqusau sliced his way through the home defence before Henry Walker thought he was over from close range but was held up.
And while both those efforts were chalked off, it was not long before their own bonus-point score came. Northampton pressured their hosts before Sleightholme spotted a gap and turned on the afterburners to put Northampton ahead for the first time.
Quins thought they’d retaken the lead with ten minutes to play when Jake Murray crossed, but the TMO intervened for an offside in the build-up.
Saints wasted no time hitting back with another score to extend their lead – this time with a charging break from Sam Graham putting McParland in for his hat-trick score.
Belleau’s conversion made it 24-33 and a huge turnover from loanee Ben Alexander gave Saints their next platform of attack, before a mighty Northampton scrum in the game’s final moments saw referee Harry Walbaum under the posts to award a penalty try to Saints’ pack.
Saints stay on the road in the PREM Rugby Cup next week, with a trip to Newcastle Red Bulls on the cards on Friday 20 February (kick-off: 7.45pm).
LINE-UPS
QUINS: 15 Josh Bellamy, 14 Cameron Anderson, 13 Ludo Kolade, 12 Sean Kerr, 11 Cassius Cleaves, 10 Jamie Benson, 9 Max Green; 1 Ethan Clarke, 2 Jack Musk (c), 3 Luke Yendle, 4 Harry Browne, 5 Jonny Green, 6 Oisín McCormack, 7 Tom Lawday, 8 Zach Carr.
Replacements: 16 Jerold Gorleku, 17 Jamie Miller, 18 Cameron Doak, 19 Barny Langton-Cryer, 20 Alex Dombrandt, 21 Jake Murray, 22 Connor Slevin, 23 Bryn Bradley.
SAINTS: 15 James Ramm, 14 Ollie Sleightholme, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Toby Thame, 11 Amena Caqusau, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Archie McParland; 1 Tom West, 2 Henry Walker, 3 Luke Green, 4 Tom Lockett (c), 5 Chunya Munga, 6 Archie Benson, 7 Charlie Ulcoq, 8 Fyn Brown.
Replacements: 16 Ben Alexander, 17 Joe Cowell, 18 Cleopas Kundiona, 19 Jack Lewis, 20 Sam Graham, 21 Aidan Pugh, 22 Freddie St John, 23 James Martin.