Evans departs Quins in style
who was able to break the line and initiate a surprisingly sustained period of pressure by the Sunwolves, as the gutsy visitors camped near the Chiefs’ line for what seemed like an eternity.
The hosts had to make 40 tackles to 10 in the early stages, and pack down for defensive scrum after defensive scrum after persistently infringing.
It was only as cruel as it was beautiful, then, to watch the Chiefs be able to immediately work wonders when they got their next chances to attack. Just like a cat toying with captured prey.
First it was Cruden and McKenzie linking intuitively on a no-look wrap-around, with winger Solomon Alaimalo into the right corner for his first Super Rugby try, before right on halftime McKenzie made up for an awful missed touch from a penalty kick by pulling out his trademark speed and swerve to beat two defenders down the left-hand touch and somehow reach the line himself.
However just when everyone probably thought that would signal the opening of flood gates in the second half, that assumption was wide of the mark, as the Sunwolves ploughed into Anton Lienert-Brown from the restart, Tom Sanders coughed up possession, Hames kept struggling to hold his feet at scrum time, and eventually Fumiaki Tanaka snuck the ball against the upright.
The 20-10 scoreline remained for quarter of an hour until the McKenzie magic, and then maybe the Chiefs felt safe.
Not to be, as the Sunwolves roared back through Carpenter, with Taulagi’s penalty goal in the end meaning the only bonus point being handed out was going to the visitors. NICK Evans has kicked Harlequins to victory in his final game at their home ground, The Twickenham Stoop.
Retiring at the end of this season, his ninth at the club, New Zealand first five-eighth Evans notched 22 points in a 32-13 win against London rivals and Premiership leaders Wasps yesterday.
The 36-year-old, who played 16 tests for the All Blacks between 2004 and 2007, kicked six penalties and two conversions to say goodbye to the Quins’ faithful in style.
Adding to what was the fairytale farewell, Evans’ parents had flown from New Zealand to be there for the occasion, while he had also been given the honour of leading the team out at the start of the match.
The typically classy performance kept Quins’ hopes of a top-six finish alive, moving them into sixth in the early stages of the 21st and penultimate round of the competition.
Quins are away to the Northampton Saints in the final week of round-robin, with the top six teams from the Premiership qualify for the European Champions Cup and the bottom six sides playing in the European Challenge Cup.
Meanwhile, the fitness of key halfback Conor Murray remains a concern for Lions head coach Warren Gatland.
The Irish test star is predicted to be the first-choice No 9 for the British and Irish Lions in their upcoming three-test series against the All Blacks. But Murray has been sidelined since March after injuring his shoulder in Ireland’s loss to Wales in the Six Nations tournament match in Cardiff.
Murray warmed up with his provincial side Munster at last weekend’s Champions Cup semifinal against Saracens but didn’t play.
Now he’s again absent from the Munster line-up for their Pro 12 match against Treviso in Italy, the Daily Mail reported.
Gatland has said that Murray must play before the Lions head to New Zealand on May 29, the Mail wrote, but Munster do have playoff matches left that should allow Murray to return.