What Belfast Harlequins had to say.
28/10/2008

What Belfast Harlaquins had to say.

This vital match was dominated by a strong transverse Southerly wind and continual down-pour. We had been grateful in 2005 (AIL final v Shannon:L 20-25)for the pre-match use of Wanderers' famous Clubhouse in the Dart Station corner of the Lansdowne Stadium. Moreover famous Wanderers Internationals include JammieClinch(1923), Michael Gibson(1964) and Philip Matthews(1984). Of course Gibson also played for another famous FootballClub:North of Ireland FC ,a foundation component of Belfast Harlequins RFC in 1999. But to the match:Wanderers elected to defend the RiverLagan and Quins kicked off. After 5 minutes,Wanderers outhalf kicked a penalty. After 11 minutes Chris McCarey scored an excellent try (see Dr AJ O'Neill's photo), converted by Keith Pyper: Quins 7 Wanderers 3. At 27 Pyper kicked a well-judged penalty(he had been judging the cross-wind at 12 noon during practice). At 37,Willie Stewart scored a very good try in the left-hand corner,leaving the half-time score at: Quins 15 Wanderers 3. At the end of the 2nd half,each team received a yellow card,for killing the ball. At 58 Wanderers were awarded a penalty try for obstruction the conversion this time being by their fullback: Quins 15 Wanderers 10. At 70,Paul Marshall scored a brilliant individual try: having dummied his way left to right with the wind, he cut back,chipped and easily won the race for the (unconverted) touchdown: Quins 20 Wanderers 10. Wanderers had to score twice to win.They got only one so that Marshall's try proved the winner. Their second try came at 85 minutes on the final whistle, after multiple phases of rucks and mauls.The conversion left the final score at: Quins 20 Wanderers 17: 4 points to Quins and a bonus point to Wanderers. There is now a break in the AIL until 29 November.

 

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