Match Report: Harlequins 22-19 Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints fell agonisingly short of an away victory at the Twickenham Stoop as Harlequins left it late to snatch four points from their grasp.

The men in Black, Green and Gold led 14-10 at the interval as tries from Tom Pearson and Tarek Haffar were cancelled out by Cassius Cleaves and Tom Lawday for the hosts – but two successful conversions from George Makepeace-Cubitt was the difference between the sides.

Tom Seabrook and Will Joseph traded tries as Phil Dowson’s side took a two-point lead into the final minutes when Cleaves struck his match-winning score for the hosts to break Saints hearts.

FIRST HALF: 

The hosts thought they had opened the scoring in only the second minute as Cleaves steamed towards the left corner, but in came James Ramm to make a superb covering tackle – with the TMO confirming Cleaves had not grounded the ball, and that the shot from Ramm was legal.

Saints then enjoyed a period of possession, with a couple of lovely offloads from the returning Temo Mayanavanua and a chip-and-chase from Ramm helping them to make ground, but when Rory Hutchinson kicked over the top, Nick David was back to cover.

But the men in Black, Green and Gold were not to be denied when high-quality handling and stepping from Makepeace-Cubitt, Haffar, and Pearson sent the latter over for the game’s opening try – with Makepeace-Cubitt adding the extras from in front of the posts.

Saints were almost in again moments later as Seabrook wriggled through a gap in the line, but with Archie McParland on his shoulder, Tyrone Green stepped in to make a try-saving tackle.

Quins then answered in the 25th minute, with Cleaves again the man to squeeze into the corner – this time on the other touchline – but Jarrod Evans’ conversion attempt drifted wide.

A clinical attack from Saints allowed the visitors to stretch their lead four minutes later, with Northampton winning every collision to make metres, and it was loosehead prop Haffar who added the finishing touch – his first try in Black, Green and Gold.

Makepeace-Cubitt hit a beauty of a conversion from wide on the left-hand side to make it 14-5, but the hosts cut the gap by five just before the break after a scrum penalty on halfway, as Green found Stephan Lewies and after a strong carry from the lock, Lawday stretched over the whitewash.

SECOND HALF:

Solid defence from Saints produced a turnover on their own five-metre line a couple of minutes into the second half, with Hutchinson scooping up the loose ball and booting clear.

And after McParland penned Quins back deep in their own 22 with a box-kick, the visitors took full advantage of a messy lineout to steal possession, before Hutchinson claimed a pass behind him and offloaded superbly to Litchfield, who fed Seabrook for a vital score.

But Quins hit straight back with more slick handling following a scrum, and Joseph was put into plenty of space to score right of the posts – with Evans this time landing the conversion to cut the deficit to two points at 19-17.

Northampton turned down a shot at goal when Tom West won a scrum penalty immediately after coming on, but despite several phases inside the 22, the hosts came up with a turnover to clear their lines.

Saints started to empty the bench with Angus Scott-Young and Tom James entering the action just after the hour-mark, and with the game on a knife edge, Callum Hunter-Hill joined proceedings ten minutes later.

However, the fresh legs could not see Saints home as Quins produced a mammoth period of possession pushing tired legs backwards before David freed Cleaves down the unguarded left wing for the game-deciding try.

The missed conversion did leave one last opportunity for the visitors to snatch it, and that chance came when another huge scrum delivered a penalty 45 metres out.

Hutchinson punched the ball to inside the 22 and lineout ball was secured, only for a fumble to follow the very next phase, signalling the end of a pulsating encounter.

Saints gained a losing bonus point from the game as their attentions now turn to the Premiership Rugby Cup and a visit to Mattioli Woods Welford Road on 1 February to take on Leicester Tigers.

LINE UPS:

Quins: 15 Green, 14 David, 13 Joseph, 12 Waghorn, 11 Cleaves, 10 Evans, 9 Care; 1 Jones, 2 Walker, 3 Kerrod, 4 Launchbury, 5 Lewies (c), 6 Kenningham, 7 Evans, 8 Chisholm.
Replacements: 16 Riley, 17 Els, 18 Lewis, 19 Herbst, 20 Lawday, 21 Porter, 22 Benson, 23 Halfpenny.

Saints: 15 Ramm, 14 Litchfield, 13 Savala, 12 Hutchinson, 11 Seabrook, 10 Makepeace-Cubitt, 9 McParland; 1 Haffar, 2 Walker, 3 Davison, 4 Mayanavanua, 5 Lockett, 6 Kemeny (c), 7 Pearson, 8 Augustus.
Replacements: 16 Wright, 17 West, 18 Green, 19 Prowse, 20 Hunter-Hill, 21 Scott-Young, 22 James, 23 Glister