1
Mixed news for England as Harlequins' smash and grab tactics send Ulster packing
By PA
Harlequins produced the ultimate smash-and-grab victory to register a 47-19 win over Ulster that keeps them in the chase for home advantage in the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase.
ADVERTISEMENT
Louis Lynagh claimed two of four tries scored against the run of play at The Stoop, his first a sensational solo score that started on his own 22 and left four beaten tacklers in his wake.
It needed the stars to align for Lynagh to even get on the pitch as only an injury-enforced reshuffle hours before kick-off created a vacancy on the bench that he filled until Oscar Beard limped off in the 17th minute.
The injury-troubled England stepped up and prospect took his chance beautifully, issuing a reminder of his finishing skills with Nick David and Danny Care also tormenting an Ulster side that had otherwise dominated.
By the time David, Andre Esterhuizen and Will Evans ran in additional tries, the Irish province were a spent force knowing the win they needed to progress was out of reach.
There was mixed news for England with Joe Marler lasting 40 minutes in his comeback from a biceps injury ahead of the Six Nations, but Beard was in obvious discomfort when he limped off in the opening quarter.
ADVERTISEMENT
Quins need events elsewhere to go their way if they are to play their round-of-16 match in south west London, but the points avalanche in their final pool outing has strengthened their cause.
It looked an unlikely outcome as Ulster took early control of the game only to allow David to touch down from a quickly-taken line-out by Esterhuizen, who capitalised the visitors’ loss of concentration.
Ulster launched consecutive raids originating inside their own half with one producing a try for David McCann made possible by the athleticism of wing Rob Baloucoune.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Irish onslaught continued and the only surprise was the score remained 7-7, but disaster struck a second time for them when Smith launched Lynagh from his own 22 and the England prospect went on to score a stunning try.
Lynagh bulldozed through Billy Burns and outfought a floundering Jacob Stockdale to gather his own kick, but the score was also made possible by his electric pace and instinctive running.
Six minutes later and the jet-heeled 23-year-old was over again as Baloucoune failed to deal with Esterhuizen’s mammoth hack forward, allowing the lurking Lynagh to produce a classy pick-up and touch down.
The theme of Quins scrambling their way out of pressure continued early in the second-half as hapless Ulster blew another promising spell and the critical blow was landed in the 48th minute when Care side-stepped over from close range.
Esterhuizen strode through the yellow shirts to add the fifth try and on this occasion the score came after a period of Quins tightening the screw rather than a counter-punch out of nowhere.
David and Evans went over in a high scoring finish that also produced tries for Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey and Stockdale.
That’s being a bit ungenerous to Quins. They had to absorb a lot of pressure, but you expect that in the Champions Cup. Quins also had a clear edge in the scrum (and Will Collier will have been very satisfied at how he scrummaged against Kitshoff) and a smaller one at the breakdown.
And while five of the tries came from first phase ball and very long range, they all looked to me to have started from the team having a good understanding of how Ulster play and where their defensive weaknesses were.
Quins went for so many interceptions over the course of the game that they were clearly prepared to target Ulster’s quick passing, offloading game. The reward was Will Evans’ try; the price was the early yellow. Both of David’s tries and Lynagh’s first came from a recognition that Ulster are slow to get their defensive alignment after kicking for territory - the Quins players knew it was on before starting the moves and that their acceleration and agility would give them a chance to exploit gaps.
Lynagh needed a bit of luck with the bounce for both tries, and Esterhuizen’s kick was a great reaction to a loose ball, but Quins knew they could create chances.
From an Ulster perspective, the combination of hard runners and offloading was effective at creating gaps in the Quins line, but they lacked some composure and often ran out of support on the break. The pack had parity in the lineout but struggled in the scrum and their maul was ineffective. I was impressed by Timoney’s carrying - very quick for a No 8 - and by Lowry and Baloucoune in the backs. Stockdale attracted a lot of cheers when he touched the ball, but looked a long way off his best and was well marshalled until his consolation try.