This was Quins’ first foray into Europe’s top flight after an absence of two seasons – and a familiar tale it was that unfolded. Oodles of ambition, oodles of brilliance, oodles of flakiness and, ultimately, a defeat. As a result, there is at least a temptation to decree already that their latest campaign is in trouble, notwithstanding the bonus point they claimed with Marcus Smith’s last-minute penalty. Home defeats in this competition are famously damaging.
Not that Quins see it that way, with a trip next to Coventry, where they have won already this season, to take on struggling Wasps. “The effort and commitment was absolutely huge,” said John Kingston, their director of rugby. “It was a thrilling night. Really disappointing we couldn’t quite get home, but you learn the hard way.”
As long as you weren’t a defence coach, though, this match was a huge amount of fun. Quins are never less than entertaining, but real credit must go to the visitors, who tore them up just that little bit more than the reverse. This is La Rochelle’s first foray into Europe’s top flight, full stop, having come from nowhere to lead the regular French league last season. They have lately become one of the more popular teams in the Top 14, capable of the sort of rugby the French in our imaginations always play – jouez, jouez. That said, up close it becomes apparent they also boast the sort of front five the French in our worst nightmares bring to the party. They are a side of two speeds: gargantuan forwards complemented by a back division quick and, if not quite impish, at least of a stature vaguely recognisable as humanoid.
At the heart of it these days is one of English rugby’s great imps, Ryan Lamb, settling this season into life on the Atlantic coast just as perfectly as we might have pictured him back when he burst on to the earthier stage of Kingsholm as a kid without a care in the world. Harlequins have never been shy of an up-tempo game, either, and from the off it was clear we were in for a treat.
Nevertheless, it was by speed one that La Rochelle opened the scoring, courtesy of that front five, which drove through an attacking lineout, Hikairo Forbes touching down for an early try. Quins have their own impish youngster at No10. Smith was challenging the gainline as boldly as ever, but opened Quins’ account with a penalty, albeit replied to by Lamb two minutes later.
There’s nothing impish about Jamie Roberts, of course, and Quins’ No12 picked a perfect line between a pair of forwards on the fringe of an attacking lineout to set up Charlie Matthews for the home team’s first try of the night. That merely proved the cue for two quickfire scores on the half-hour by the visitors, each one a gem.
Geoffrey Doumayrou cut inside to exchange passes with Jason Eaton on his way to the line, before a dart from the excellent Jérémy Sinzelle, followed by further inroads by Victor Vito and Alexi Bales, paved the way for Danny Priso to burst over. Suddenly, Quins were staring at a 14-point deficit, but they had seven of those back within three minutes. Mike Brown this time cut back to beat Lamb with ease and set up Joe Marchant to drive through the tackle of Vincent Rattez for Quins’ second.
Quins failed grievously to score just before the break, and, five minutes into the second half, how they were ruing it. This time it was Lamb leaving Smith (and Danny Care) for dead to set up Doumayrou for his second and La Rochelle’s bonus-point fourth. When Lamb landed a another penalty five minutes later, the home team were 17 points adrift with less than half an hour to play. They duly raised the pace, the only way they know how at the best of times. Kevin Gourdon was coaxed into a deliberate knock-on, for which he saw yellow, and Quins kept hammering and probing. On the hour they claimed their third try, Care, Tim Visser and Dave Ward making inroads, before Smith and the admirable James Horwill worked Will Collier over.
That couldn’t be the end of it, though. Quins had most of the final quarter to work on the deficit now standing at 10. Lamb hit the bar with a long-range penalty to keep them in it, before the pressure on La Rochelle’s defence became almost unbearable. In the end they were forced to take just the one bonus point with that late penalty for Gourdon’s encroachment offside.
A familiar tale, then, for one of Europe’s regulars. This new lot, though, look as if they’ll be a fine addition to the carnival.
