I KNOW………. ‘COS I WAS THERE! - Quins 1997

John Everton goes back over twelve years to a game won with a freak drop goal….

NEC Harlequins 30, Sale 31

Saturday, 8^th February, 1997

Courage League Division One

Fifth-placed Sale travelled to play the international-studded Quins, a place above them in the table, and lost fly half Simon Mannix through injury on the morning of the match.  Jos Baxendell moved forward into the number 10 jersey, with Adrian Hadley kicker for the day.  The Stoop boasted its new East Stand (the one with the curious ‘rabbit ears’) facing the tall but not too long Main Stand.  Both ends were open, one with a few rows of seats, and the groundsman’s house was in the corner of the ground.  The Quins’ matchday programme hadn’t started to become a ‘magazine’, and was primarily in black and white.  Most of the colour was confined to selected adverts, pictures of Chairman Roger Looker, NEC (UK) MD T.Okuto, DOR Dick Best and the front cover, which featured Quins’ captain and England propping legend Jason Leonard.  A ‘flyer’ inside the programme advertised a game the following Tuesday (3 p.m. kick off) against Auckland Blues, who were expected to field Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Jones, Robin & Zinzan Brooke, Craig Dowd and Brian Lima in a Warm Up game for their Super 12 season.  Tickets were £10 and £5: mine in the East Stand to watch the mighty Sale cost £14.

Richard F.Best, in his programme notes, commented that the “emerging Sale side had improved pack organisation under John Mitchell.”  Mallinder’s men proved him correct, as all four tries that day were from forwards: Dave Baldwin (2), Charlie Vyvyan and John Fowler.  Heralded by a new mixed dance group, dressed in black and called (wait for it!) ‘The Stoop Troop’, the players entered the pitch, with Quins, who included nine internationals against Sale’s three,  wearing squad numbers - Jim Staples at 21, Daren O’Leary at 30, Laurent Cabannes at 27.  Why ever did that idea hit the deck?  It was the Quins’ number 10 - Thierry Lacroix - who kept his side in the game until the last minute.  Displaying a blend of the departed Paul Turner’s flair and the present John Mitchell’s muscle, Sale forged ahead through tries by Baldwin and Vyvyan. Hadley converted the first.  Quins replied with a try by Llewellyn - not sure which one, 12 or 11 - and three Lacroix penalties.  Hadley slotted home a penalty for a 15-14 half time lead.  Money just can’t buy the sort of spirit and determination that the heroes in the blue and white hoops displayed that afternoon.  John Fowler and Baldwin (again) scored tries.  Huw Harries (number 29) replied, and it was Lacroix’s boot which kept the Quins in contention, a point behind at 27-28.  With precious little time left, Chris Yates was penalised and the French fly half duly put Quins two points ahead.  Baxendell tried a short re-start kick and, to Sale’s great credit, they gained possession, A couple of drives and Vyvyan passed to Yates, about forty yards out. The opposing flanker was ‘dealt with’ by Fowler, allowing ‘Kiwi’ to strike the ball.  Remembering how ‘gutted’ he was at conceding the penalty, Chris felt he had to do something to atone for his actions.  “I didn’t quite strike the ball how I intended,” he recalls, “but always knew it was going over!”   Good job there are no ’smileys’ available, for that version is surely ‘tongue in cheek’. Time has probably embellished descriptions of the ball’s route through the air, but the general consensus is that the drop kick appeared to be going wide and seemed, at the very last second, to swerve and dip over the bar.   There wasn’t long before the Sale fans, and later the players, were heading towards another bar - in celebration!

Sale beat Quins three times that season, the most famous victory being the Pilkington Cup semi final on Easter Saturday, which took the club to “H.Q.”, the rather bigger stadium on the other side of the A.316.

Teams:

NEC Harlequins Staples; O’Leary, Mensah, Carling, Luger; Lacroix, Harries; Leonard (capt.), Delaney, Benezech, Glyn Llewellyn, Gareth Llewellyn, Jenkins, Cabannes, Davison.

Sale Mallinder (capt.); Rees, Yates, Hadley, Beim; Baxendell, D.Morris; Winstanley, Diamond, A.Smith, Fowler, Baldwin, Mitchell, A.Morris, Vyvyan.

Referee Mr.Chris White

Tags: I WAS THERE, Quins
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