Sizzling Quins edge a thriller
Millard hails ‘massive’ historic upset
THE LOCALS flooded into Stade Chaban-Delmas, booed Marcus Smith and settled back to watch another rout of outclassed English visitors, only to end up witnessing a momentous, historic upset.
This was a bonkers and brilliant quarter-final that went straight into Champions Cup folklore as Harlequins stunned Bordeaux in defiance of all pre-match expectations. By rights, there should be people lining the streets of Twickenham and Guildford to welcome home director of rugby Billy Millard’s conquering heroes. They delivered one of the greatest results ever achieved by a Premiership side in a European competition.
After Bordeaux captain Maxime Lucu’s conversion shot for glory drifted wide with four minutes left of this pulsating encounter, played under a scorching sun in front of a crowd of nearly 30,000, Quins — who had led by 16 points — finally established some order for just long enough to seal their glorious feat. They had scored six tries and so had their opponents.
The reward for this thunderous, riotous performance is the prospect of a trip to Toulouse to face Antoine Dupont and Co in the last four, unless Exeter Chiefs can strike another unlikely blow for the Premiership this afternoon. That is certainly what Quins did.
Context is important. Try to make sense of this: three weeks earlier, Millard’s men had been thrashed by Saracens at Tottenham Stadium — losing 52-7. A week before this match, Saracens — the present English champions — had come to this same city and been put to the sword. Their 45-12 defeat to Bordeaux in the last-16 clash followed a 55-15 pool-stage defeat against the same heavyweight Gallic club.
The perception was that Quins were there for the taking, but so much for that theory. Instead, they ran riot, delivering more than one try of the season contender along the way — especially when Alex Dombrandt produced a sensational off-load that allowed Will Porter to chip ahead, gather and score for the second time.
Porter was deputising for Danny Care at scrum-half and did so in superb style. Likewise, up front, Fin Baxter lined up at loosehead prop, where Joe Marler is the usual first choice, and played his part in a scrum onslaught — in a powerful alliance with tighthead Will Collier — that left Bordeaux’s vaunted pack in disarray. Visiting teams rarely inflict such indignities on French packs in front of their passionate fans, who take scrummaging extremely seriously and prize props as much as playmakers.
‘It was immense,’ Millard said. ‘We were trying to look after them as big boys in that heat, but we just couldn’t take them off because they were not just keeping us in the game, they were leading the game for us. Where they had to go physically and mentally, I’m not sure, but they gave us a massive platform to play with.’
Stephan Lewies, the Quins captain, added: ‘When people think of us they don’t think of scrums and mauls, but our props, all our front row, and Adam Jones the scrum coach, worked hard this week.
They saw an opportunity and had a plan that worked.
‘We’re really proud, but we’re not done yet. We want to achieve something special.’
That is certainly what they did here yesterday with the backrowers also contributing to the cause. Chandler CunninghamSouth wrought havoc with his ballcarrying, Dombrandt’s influence grew as the game wore on and Will Evans touched down from close range, as well as being a formidable nuisance at the breakdown.
Evans said: ‘I feel like we are riding a crazy wave at the moment and I don’t want it to stop.’