Bitter divorce bringing best out of ‘old’ Brown
OF ALL the colours in the Harlequins palette, Brown is the one the club have decided to ditch.
But full-back Mike continues his technicolour form as the Londoners paint t hemselves i nto t he Premiership play-off picture.
The board, who told one of their modern greats he had no future here in a four- minute meeting, watched another quality 80 from the former England man, who with the excellent Danny Care, Marcus Smith and Alex Dombrandt have Quins dreaming of a first semi-final appearance since 2014.
Back in fourth today, nestled in the peloton on Sale’s wheel, Quins look to be timing their sprint well with six regular rounds left.
It is a mix of old and new pedalling them there. Between them they scored eight tries in a routine win against a bottom-placed side short of weapons, Smith taking 15 points. Quins assistant Jerry Flannery hailed Brown. ‘He was top class,’ said the ex-hooker. ‘He wins so many big moments. If someone was to come down from the moon and look at him you wouldn’t think he was 35, the way he plays.’
There is not just a bar named after Brown at The Stoop, publicity banners have pictures of him all over and the media WiFi password is based on his name.
Quins will have to change all that this summer, with him begrudgingly off to Newcastle. Until then Brown will continue to prowl the back field, claim high balls and flick deft passes for a Quins side joyously freewheeling, having had their stabilisers removed since Paul Gustard left.
Brown started a couple of Quins’ five first-half tries and he, Care, Dombrandt and Andre Esterhuizen were loving it in the sun, picking off Worcester at will.
Care — auditioning for the Lions — scored the first, nipping round the blind-side of a lineout within five minutes. After just 11 minutes the sides had two tries each, Niall Annett and Joe Batley bashing over for Worcester and Smith producing a slick one-two with Dombrandt to isolate Ollie Lawrence and run in.
Then Esterhuizen, Wilco Louw and Will Evans — with another sneak round a five-metre lineout — put Quins into a comfortable half-time lead.
Worcester should be scrapping for their lives well behind Gloucester at the bottom. Cosy as they are with Premiership shares and no threat of relegation, a 13th defeat in 16 did not mean much.
There is always meaning for Brown, who created the next Quins score with a good kick, better chase and a turnover to force a penalty which Smith kicked to touch. The Londoners drove on and Evans finished.
Luke Northmore had the eighth Quins s core, assisted by Joe Marchant, but Brett Herron missed the kick so Quins ended on a round 50 as Richard Palframan and Alex Hearle took a try each in the last minute to nick Worcester a losing bonus point. Their coach Jon Thomas said: ‘It’s not acceptable to concede 50.’
ENGLAND WOMEN will meet France in the Six Nations final on Saturday after France mauled Ireland 56-15 yesterday.