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Author Topic: Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins  (Read 204 times)

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Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins
« on: Monday 21-Jan-2019, 22:39* »
Agen vs Harlequins

Friday 18 January
by Bedfordshire Boy

Thought we would change our mode of travel for this match and took the train from London to Agen. Very comfortable ride on Eurostar left us with an hour to get across Paris to Montparnasse (RER B and Metro Line 6) with 20 minutes to spare and then a three hour stint by TGV (sometimes travelling at over 300 km/h) via Bordeaux arriving in Agen just after five in the evening. Out for a meal and wandered back to the hotel and while sitting in the lounge area a certain “well known” group of Quins supporters walked by so joined them for a couple of beers. Who should walk into the bar to play a game of pool but Mark Mapletoft and some of the back room guys, the players all presumably tucked up in bed. 

Spent the Friday with a bit of exploring the streets of Agen, a walk to the river La Garonne as well as the canal that crosses the Garonne on a viaduct.

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The River

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The Canal Viaduct

A look inside the cathedral and adjoining streets before lunch in a creperie restaurant where we met an ex-pat supporter who warned us that Agen were putting out a fairly strong team who were looking for a win. A bit more culture after lunch with a visit to the cathedral and local museum of fine arts before heading back to the hotel to prepare for the main event. Quite a long walk to ground and met more and more Quins fans as we got closer, none of us absolutely sure where the ground was located. Most of the Quins contingent assembled in a tented eating area for a meal and just before heading for the stands we had one final rousing chorus of “Come All Without” led by choirmaster Chris Munton.

A four or five point win will see us topping the group but with five points giving us more chance of a home quarter final match, it seems likely that would end up playing Worcester and having to play at their ground if they can get five points from their last pool match. I haven't done all of the permutations but I guess that if we lose this game we will probably be out of the competition.

Interesting selection with Clifford, Dombrandt and Wallace in the back row, a return of Nathan Earle on the wing and with a slightly weaker centre pairing of Tapaui and Alofa.
Agen get the game underway and Quins immediately put themselves under pressure by not looking after the ball but Care eventually gets the ball safely to touch. All of the early pressure comes from Quins and after some good attack breaks down through loose play Quins are eventually rewarded when Jack Clifford touches down for the first points, an easy conversion from Marcus Smith and Quins lead by seven points after six minutes. From the restart an aimless kick from Smith gives possession to Agen who eventually make a good kick finding touch in the corner putting Quins under pressure. Agen are penalised at the line out for pulling down which allows Smith to find a safe touch ten metres from the half way line.

Quins fairly dominant at this stage with some good probing runs by Mike Brown and Nathan Earle, the latter being pulled back when adjudged to have put a foot into touch, not a view held by the majority of the Quins support. Approaching the first quarter and Agen getting more and more into the game but the Quins defence proving very strong. The first points for Agen come following a kick from Care when Quins players are penalised for being in an offside position, Agen take a tap penalty in the middle of the pitch and as Quins are slow to react Agen wing Saure touches down in the corner. A very good conversion from McIntyre and the scores are all level after 20 minutes.

An Agen attack is thwarted when Ibitoye forces an Agen player into touch and Quins are awarded another penalty for an Agen line out infringement. Quins line out working well so far and Danny Care looks pretty sharp getting the ball moving quickly. Lots of errors from both sides as Quins seem to change tack and Care starts to kick the ball a lot more; at least Quins are chasing it although Ibitoyes  timing is a bit wayward as he keeps over running the ball. A couple of penalties to Quins sees Agen defending a Quins line out five metres from their line out. Obviously have not been watching any Quins games as Quins do “the old front of the line out trick” again as a pass from Dombrandt allows Max Crumpton to touch down in the corner. Conversion attempt pulled wide by Smith so the score moves on to Agen 7 Quins 12 five minutes from the break.

Agen still looking for points and their very lively number eleven makes thirty metres skipping through half of the Quins team before making a wayward pass directly into touch. Quins back on the attack and some poor defending by Agen sees them defending a Quins scum five metres fron the try line. Quins win their ball and well timed pass from Care creates space for Tapaui to set Ibitoye free to score. With the clock in the red Smith adds the two extra points and  Quins go into the half time break twelve points in front, Agen 7 Quins 19. Lots of errors from both sides during the first forty minutes but Quins have done enough to set themselves in a good position to get the five points required.

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Second Half Gets Underway

Marcus Smith got the second half underway, a good take by Agen allows them to attack before they make their first two changes followed a minute later with the introduction of Renaldo Bothma for Alex Dombrandt. Agen are penalised allowing Marcus Smith to find touch 35 metres out and another line out infringement allows him to find touch close to the Agen line. Quins claim the line out and a very neat chip over the Agen defensive line  by Danny Care is gathered by Nathan Earle who touches down for a bonus point try. Two more points from the boot of Marcus Smith moves the score on to Agen 7 Quins 26 after only 44 minutes.

Following a high tackle from Mike Brown it is now Agens time to press as they kick to the Quins 5 metre line. The catch and drive is repelled by the Quins defence but they get another attempt when Quins are again penalised but this time Agen knock the ball on in the resulting maul. Joe Marler involved in a bit of off the ball nonsense by lurking around behind an Agen maul and keeping the Agen number five out of the game by hanging on to his shirt. As Marler walks away the Agen player shoves Marler in the back and the referee intervention results in a talk to both players and captains and a penalty to Agen. Pretty sure with a TMO and BT commentators involved that there might have been a few cards shown. Five more changes for Agen less than ten minutes into the second half with another one six minutes later as Agen look to find a way to score.   A good penetrating run by Nathan Earle deep into the Agen half is slowed down but Mike Brown then sets off  leading to Quins being camped on the Agen line. The ball is turned over allowing Agen to clear the ball to touch and with a quarter of the game left Alofa is replaced by Joe Marchant and Lewis Boyce comes into the front row for Joe Marler. Quins win the line out and continue to attack leading to another jinxing run from Earle but play is brought to an end when Agen are penalised for being offside inside their twenty two. Quins elect to kick to the corner, win the ball, Agen stop the maul but as the ball comes back Care makes a very delicate chip into the dead ball area for Joe Marchant to run onto and touch down under the posts, was that his first touch of the ball? Smith converts, the match score moves on to Agen 7 Quins 33 with 63 minutes gone as Quins replace Care with Mulchrone and Symonds with Luamanu.

Both teams are throwing the ball around which leads to more mistakes and play is halted with an Agen player flat out and requiring attention. It seems that Boyce was the culprit with a high tackle so he is sent to the bench for a ten minute rest which spurs Agen on making full use of their extra man. An Agen line out five metres from the Quins line leads to their second try of the evening as the forwards get the ball over the line for the touch down. The conversion attempt from wide out is missed bringing their deficit to twenty one points as the game enters the final ten minutes. Will Collier is replaced by Josh Ibuanokpe before Agen manage their third touchdown of the evening as they run directly at a retreating Quins defensive line, the conversion attempt, a hasty drop goal is nowhere near the mark so the Agen total remains on 17 points.

Smith gets the game underway and Agen slowly move out of their own half after Quins initially restricted them to their twenty two. A bit of a worry when Mike Brown takes the ball into a ruck and is prone on the deck for a while but he is soon up and running. With just four minutes left James Lang gets onto the pitch replacing Marcus Smith as both sides keep running the ball at every opportunity an invariably turning the ball over. The last play of the game sees Nathan Earle boot the ball into the stand, much to the “delight” of the home crowd, following a Quins scrum inside their own twenty two. Final score Agen 17 Quins 33.

A little over 2000 attended the game with Quins edging towards ten percent of the total so a good showing from the away supporters. Not a brilliant game of rugby but Quins did exactly what was required by leaving France with five points in the bag. Not a bad game from any of the Quins side really but yet again really impressed with Jack Clifford, Luke Wallace and Mat Symonds in the forwards. Mike Brown and Nathan Earle shone through in the backs, a few touches of brilliance from Danny Care and Marcus Smiths development continues.

The tail end of the journey home on Saturday was spent keeping an eye on progress of the Worcester v Stade Francaise score, lots of smiles until the dying minutes of the game when Worcester ran in two late tries to beat Stade by five points. So instead of Worcester visiting The Stoop for the quarter final we have to make the journey to Sixways and play on their plastic pitch.

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The Land Of The Dark Arts

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deadlyfrom5yardsout

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Re: Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 22-Jan-2019, 08:27* »
Excellent! You should do these more often..
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DOK

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Re: Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 22-Jan-2019, 11:48* »
Still waiting for your deathless prose, Deadly!

Boonie

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Re: Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 22-Jan-2019, 12:56* »
Excellent report, many thanks!

Comet

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Re: Match Report: Agen vs Harlequins
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 24-Jan-2019, 06:38* »
Terrific, thank you.

 

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