Brown glad to celebrate her century in fine style

HARLEQUINS reinvigorated their season in their first game at The Stoop since early February to mark club legend Shaunagh Brown’s 100th appearance with a win.

Quins ran in seven tries to celebrate Brown’s landmark occasion in style, and centre Izzy Mayhew paid tribute to the propturned back rower.

“She’s a massive massive part of the squad, she’s such a big personality,” said Mayhew. “She’s been around for ages, so to see her get to the 100 is a really great achievement for her and we’re going to celebrate tonight.”

Brown celebrated individually too, scoring a try in the early stages from close range just moments after Amy Layzell opened the scoring on a glorious afternoon in south west London.

Layzell was the beneficiary of a well-organised Quins maul earning her side penalty advantage, with the backs given the perfect platform to send Layzell over from a training ground play.

Brown’s crowning moment came from more set-piece dominance, with another backs move from a scrum releasing debutant Welsh international Lisa Neumann down the left flank, and one bustling Jade Konkel carry later Brown was able to bundle over to the loudest cheer of the day.

Tigers ensured they stayed in the game when Amy Relf produced a lovely miss pass from scrappy ball to send Francesca McGhie over, but Quins maintained a two-score cushion going into the break through a maul try from England hooker Connie Powell.

Star player Ella Cromack, 19, ensured her side started the second half fastest, keeping a counter

attack alive with some brilliant handling before supporting a Neumann break to score. McGhie then grabbed a second with a great turn of pace to latch onto an Amanda Swartz grubber, but any semblance of a Tigers comeback was diminished by a clinical final 10 minutes by Quins.

Second row Danelle Lochner kicked off the purple patch with a try typical of Quins, and Cromack’s attacking ambition, the fly half returned a Tigers kick with interest, putting Carys Phillips clean through a gap. The replacement hooker was chopped well by Swartz but Lochner was on hand to finish.

Izzy Mayhew was the next beneficiary of Quins’ counterattacking prowess, supporting fullback Emily Scott, in the side given Ellie Kildunne’s 7s induced absence, to finish, before substitute Aseza Hele scored in the final play after another magnificent Scott break.