When you are nine points adrift of the play-off spots you have grown accustomed to, you take the points any which way. This Harlequins did, but after their heroics against Leinster over the past fortnight the drop-off in their performance levels was marked. It is not stretching it to say that Newcastle looked the better side for most of this game, but a lack of composure and an alarming penalty count in the second half enabled Quins to deprive them of even a bonus point without threatening their 22, let alone tryline. Tim Swiel, recently recruited to cover an injury crisis at fly-half, slotted five penalties from five to take the points.
It may surprise students of the Premiership’s recent history that this started life as a clash between ninth and 10th, the Falcons having roused themselves of late from their traditional position battling against relegation. Harlequins, meanwhile, have slipped from theirs at or near the top of the table and have precious little margin for error if they are to regain those heights before the music stops this season.
“After the fortnight we’ve had,” said Conor O’Shea, Quins’ director of rugby, “they were brutal, brutal games against Leinster. You saw that in team selection and the players we had available. My wife knew I was worried about this one, but the win will make for a better Christmas.”
It was, indeed, an unfamiliar Quins lineup, with a back row of youngsters filling in for Nick Easter, Chris Robshaw et al. Robshaw is aiming to be back for the Leicester game on 10 January. Here, though, the unfamiliarity told in a first half that was comfortably dominated by the visitors, even if it took them until the last play of the half to make it tell, Alesana Tuilagi just about touching down after the latest sustained attack by Newcastle. The Falcons had blown a number of clear chances by then. Harlequins struggled to contain their muscular wings, Sinoti Sinoti proving particularly explosive, and in between them Simon Hammersley was an elegant foil, until he was forced off midway through the first half.
They were inches short after one fine passage at the start, and only mishandling or indiscipline prevented them scoring before that try on the stroke of half-time.
As it was, Quins held a lead for most of the half through a penalty from a nothing attack. They sharpened up in the second half, though, without exactly cutting loose. A Matt Hopper break to the rarefied territory of just inside the Falcons’ half resulted in the first of two penalties in quick succession just before the hour mark, which regained the lead for the home side.
Then Danny Care came on and the home team’s pace rose again, resulting in two more penalties early in the final quarter. Suddenly Newcastle were more than a score adrift. Not that there was any obvious reason for that, other than these pesky penalties they kept conceding. They were aggrieved not to have taken a losing bonus point. Indeed they felt, not unreasonably, they were worth the full five points. Quins, meanwhile, were simply relieved with the win. Their hopes of making those play-offs are not dead yet.
