Alofa strikes as Quins decide Cup is a priority
HARLEQUINS boss John Kingston says his side will “unashamedly” make winning the Anglo-Welsh Cup a priority as they secured a semi-final spot with this bonus-point win.
The Londoners were knocked out of the European Challenge Cup last week, and Kingston believes the Anglo-Welsh competition could be the perfect tonic – with the final on home turf.
“The final of this competition is at the Stoop and that gives an extra incentive,” said Kingston, whose side registered just their third win on the road this season thanks to a late double by slaloming winger Alofa Alofa.
“It was a bitter blow being knocked out of Europe and we are unashamedly keen to do well in this competition
“Moments when you win finals are the ultimate. And we’re in the business of winning trophies.”
Victory at Sixways put Harlequins clear at the top of Pool 3, with the visitors putting a ragged opening behind them to slowly put a stranglehold on Worcester.
“The longer the game went on the stronger we seemed to get,” said Kingston. “The tenacity and togetherness we showed after the slow start was commendable.”
Gary Gold clocks on for duty as Worcester’s director of rugby on Monday and on the basis of this display his first task will be to arrest the Warriors recurring fault: the capacity to throw away matches.
The Warriors scored two early tries and led until just shy of the hour mark, but repeated their habit of surrendering a winning position. Head coach Carl Hogg said: “We looked very sharp for 20 to 30 minutes and were the dominant side and probably didn’t get as much out of the game as we should have.
“Quins were clinical with the chances they had. Conceding four tries at home is concerning.”
Early tries from wing Wynand Olivier and centre Bryce Heem, both converted by the physical Ryan Mills, put Worcester into an early lead as they produced some flowing rugby that tested Quins.
Charlie Walker’s dancing feet pulled a try back
for Quins before Worcester extended their lead shortly after the break when hooker Joe Taufete’e finished off a lineout drive.
But an intercept try by lock Charlie Matthews and a weaving try-scoring break down the left by Alofa put Quins ahead.
Mills slotted a penalty to give Worcester the slenderest of leads. But Alofa’s second touchdown gave the visitors both the bonus point and the victory, with Darren Barry’s late sin-binning for a dangerous challenge inhibiting any chances of a late Worcester comeback.