Ward spitting row mars Quins’ big day
A SPIT from Harlequins hooker Dave Ward overshadowed their march back into the Premiership top four as they beat Wasps despite dodgy discipline.
Quins won the ‘Big Game’ in front of a capacity crowd — the fourth sell-out in 11 of these post- Christmas matches — t hanks to t ri es f rom Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant.
But Ward’s vile act left a sour taste and he could face a long ban when he is surely cited.
Referee Craig MaxwellKeys appeared not to see the Quins hooker spit in the direct i on of Wasps back- rowers Nizaam Carr and Thomas Young, who were on the ground after a scrum collapsed.
After spitting, Ward then trod on Young’s ankle, which was the reason the referee sent him to the sin-bin after a review.
Sean Davey, the Television Match Official, alerted Maxwell-Keys to the stamp but never mentioned a spit which was clearly visible and picked up by co-commentator Austin Healey on BT Sport.
‘ He spits on him, and then stamps on his ankle — you don’t need that,’ said the former England back on television. ‘He is lucky he has not got more. If you spit on a player it is completely unacceptable.’
Minutes earlier Ward had attempted to clear Young out of a ruck with a dangerous neckroll and scrapped with the Wasps flanker, so was already on thin ice. Bans for spitting are covered under acts ‘against the spirit of good sportsmanship’ and start at four weeks, going up to 12 or more.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: ‘I don’t know if a spitting incident occurred. But with the stamp, there is no need for that rubbish. The game is hard enough without that nonsense. You al ways get niggle with Quins. They are in your face.’
There was yet more ill-discipline as Quins prop Joe Marler berated assistant referee Simon McConnell late on, shouting in his face several times after a tussle with a Wasps forward.
The spitting incident ruined a superb start to the match by Quins. They scored the quickest try of the season in 49 seconds when 21- year-old Dombrandt went over for his seventh club try in only his 10th match, further justifying his nickname ‘Dominator’.
Ward threw into a lineout to Matt Symons who chucked it straight back to his hooker. Flanker Dombrandt then peeled round to the blindside and was able to take Ward’s pass and dive over. A fine move.
Marcus Smith took the conversion and two more penalties in the half as Quins led by 10 at the break, Elliot Daly having scored Wasps’ only points with a 47-metre penalty.
There was a worrying sign for England as Dan Robson went off injured after 49 minutes, needing to strap ice on his left leg. The scrum- half has just returned from an ankle injury t hat kept him out for t wo months and meant he missed the autumn internationals.
The match seemed to sum up a mediocre, middling Premiership season so far. These two sides started the day in fifth and sixth but offered little attacking threat. A muddled mid- table might be intriguing but points to the fact that too many sides have too many issues.
Finally things stirred into life when Wasps prop Will Stuart piled over for a close- range score, Lima Sopoaga’s conversion tightening the gap to three. But soon Quins were 10 up again after Danny Care forced through a lovely grubber kick inside the Wasps 22 for Marchant to touch down in the deadball area. Smith converted.
Sopoaga knocked o ver a penalty, which took Wasps back to within seven points.
They wanted more but at a scrum five metres from the Harlequins line but Will Collier and Marler swatted Wasps away with a massive drive, splintering t he scrum and winning a vital penalty.
The end encapsulated the disciplinary mess. Juan de Jongh was bundled into touch to end the game as Wasps sought a score to draw — and then a fight in the corner lasted several minutes after full time.
Fire, fury and dark clouds over Twickenham.