NICK EVANS reckoned it was probably the ugliest drop-goal he has ever landed. From only 25 yards and with the wind behind him, the Kiwi managed to wobble the ball over the bar.
In fact it was so close the referee, Nigel Owens, needed a television replay before he could award Harlequins the points, the match, a second consecutive victory over Stade Francais and, in all probability, a place in the quarter-finals.
"Wondrous, wondrous," said Mark Evans, Harlequins' chief executive, not merely about the kick, but the 29 phases of play spanning nearly five minutes that preceded it and his outhalf's decision to twice pull out of shots from further out.
From the first, the game clock already in the red, Evans dummied and ran left. From the second he went right, starting the move that gained precious yards to bring the posts within kicking distance. In the previous four minutes and 27 seconds the pack had at times gone backwards while attempting to manoeuvre their kicker into place. "We kept plugging away to get ourselves into a better position and even when it was 25 out it wasn't the best field conditions, but I knew I would have to have a crack because I wouldn't get it any closer," said Evans.
So with 83 minutes and 57 seconds played, Evans signalled to his scrumhalf, Danny Care, who whipped the ball back and a game that looked as though it had been lost by a point was won. "It was probably the ugliest drop-kick I have ever had in my life but it doesn't matter if it goes over," said Evans, who left the Stoop with 14 points and a 100 per cent record on a day of shocking conditions for kickers and vivid contrasts from the previous Saturday's victory in Paris. For a start, there were no can-can girls, jousting knights or eagles on show before the match.
The Stoop's car parks were flooded, the pitch needed an inspection and something like 65,000 fewer spectators saw Stade, not Harlequins, rush into an early lead.
A try and a couple of kicks from the South African scrumhalf Noel Oelschig put the French club 11-3 up after 12 minutes. But Dean Richards's side have learned to think on their feet and they inched their way back to 14-13, Jordan Turner-Hall taking the perfect line from Evans to go under the posts for a try.
Chris Robshaw, Will Skinner and Nick Easter in the Quins backrow were winning almost everything and Easter and Jim Evans were causing all sorts of bother for the Stade lineout, but when Juan Martin Hernandez dropped a goal eight minutes from time and Stade set up camp in Harlequins territory, it looked as though all the heroics had been for nothing. However, Hernandez fluffed another attempted drop-goal and Sergio Parisse skewed the ball directly into touch, giving Harlequins a lineout 45 yards out.
Today they sit on top of Pool Four with four wins from four. A tricky visit to Ulster is next up, after Christmas, before a home match against the winless Scarlets. However, it is these back-to-back victories over one of the benchmark sides that will worry future opponents, especially as Harlequins now have an outhalf of the highest quality.
HARLEQUINS:Brown; Williams, Tiesi (Barry, 69), Turner-Hall, Monye; N Evans, Care; Jones, Fuga, Ross, Percival (Robson, 57), J Evans, Robshaw, Skinner (capt), Easter.
STADE FRANCAIS:Hernandez; Gasnier, Glas, Liebenberg, Mirco Bergamasco; Bousses (Bastareaud, 58), Oelschig; Roncero (Attoub, 65), Szarzewski (Blin, 58), Marconnet, Marchois, Vigouroux (Rabadan, 60), Parisse (capt), Mauro Bergamasco, Leguizamon.
Referee:N Owens (Wales).
Try:Turner-Hall Con: Evans Pens: Evans 3 Drop goal: Evans
- Guardian Service
