SHARP AND HILL INSPIRE QUINS' BOUNCE BACK TO BEAT BULLS
Harlequins stand-off Scott Hill reminded his coach Brian McDermott what he will be missing next season, after having a hand in four out of his team’s seven tries as they scored three times in the last six minutes to snatch a 36-24 victory over Bradford Bulls at the Twickenham Stoop. It was their first win in six games, and provides a sliver of hope for a play-off place with four rounds remaining.
Hill, capped six times for Australia, is to hang up his boots at the conclusion of the campaign and move back to his homeland to enjoy family life. When asked whether a big name replacement was being lined up, the usually loquacious McDermott offered: “Yes. But I’m not saying who yet. I expect there will be an announcement by the end of the season. Scott showed his class today, and was very influential, especially in the first half. That bit of class and experience saw us through.”
The performance of winger Will Sharp, in his first year out of the academy, gave cause for optimism, as he touched down a hat-trick of tries for McDermott’s side, who were impressive on the back of their woeful 66-12 mauling at home to bottom-club Castleford. “He has greatly improved,” McDermott said of the 22-year-old. “He looks erratic, like the Wildman of Borneo, but there is actually quite a lot of skill to him. He just gets better and better.”
Hill, 31, was instrumental as Harlequins stormed to a 22-0 lead in the first half. Quins broke the deadlock on 17 minutes through full-back Chris Melling, who was sent under the posts by prop Danny Ward’s scissors move.
Four minutes later Hill found second row and captain Robert Purdham, tipped by McDermott to be in Tony Smith’s World Cup squad come October, who flicked a clever pass to send Sharp over for the first time. With five minutes of the half remaining Hill offloaded to Purdham in the tackle and the 28-year-old found centre David Howell on the overlap. Two minutes later Hill, sensing another numerical advantage, fizzed a pass to Purdham, on the half-way line, who shipped on to Howell. Sharp was in support to score in the left corner.
Bradford, missing half-back Paul Deacon, and with Sam Burgess, Glenn Morrison and Tame Tupou out for the season, fought back well after the interval, scoring 24 unanswered points. Tries from Simon Finnigan, Semi Tadulala, Ben Jeffries and Andy Lynch, and four Lestyn Harris goals handed Bulls the lead until six minutes before the final hooter.
Rikki Sheriffe then dropped on a Danny Orr grubber kick and three minutes later Hill fed Tony Clubb for another score. With the last play of the match Joe Mbu laid on Sharp, who completed his hat-trick.
On his team’s chances of making the play-offs – they are four points behind Bradford, who still occupy sixth – McDermott added: “It is round 24 next week and we are not going to do anything different. We will just crack on and see what happens. We are disappointed to even be in this position, but there are some things that have been taken out of our hands with injuries and suspensions.
“But today the lads were outstanding. About five times this year we have been pipped at the end of the match, and that has hurt us. So it was a relief, more than anything, to win, especially as the momentum had changed so much in the second half.”
Bulls coach Steve McNamara was “bitterly disappointed” with the Bulls’ first half showing, and the result. His injury woes may worsen too, as second row David Solomona hoppled off. “We gave ourselves a lot to do after that first half,” he fumed. “Then we had put ourselves in a position to win, but couldn’t hold on. We are far better than that and should have been stronger.”
HARLEQUINS: Melling; Sharp, Howell, Clubb, Sheriffe; Hill, Orr; Haggerty, Randell, Ward, Grayshon, Purdham, Paul
Interchange: Rinaldi, Temata, Mbu, Heckenburg
TRIES: Melling, Sharp (3), Howell, Sheriffe, Clubb
GOALS: Purdham 4 (7)
BRADFORD BULLS: Platt; Halley, Sykes, Evans, Tadulala; Jeffries, Harries; Vagana, Newton, Lynch, Solomona, Finnigan, Langley
Interchange: Cook, Nero, Godwin, Kopczak,
TRIES: Finnigan, Tadulala, Jeffries, Lynch
GOALS: Harris 4 (4)
REFEREE: MR ASHLEY KLEIN
Harlequins stand-off Scott Hill reminded his coach Brian McDermott what he will be missing next season, after having a hand in four out of his team’s seven tries as they scored three times in the last six minutes to snatch a 36-24 victory over Bradford Bulls at the Twickenham Stoop. It was their first win in six games, and provides a sliver of hope for a play-off place with four rounds remaining.
Hill, capped six times for Australia, is to hang up his boots at the conclusion of the campaign and move back to his homeland to enjoy family life. When asked whether a big name replacement was being lined up, the usually loquacious McDermott offered: “Yes. But I’m not saying who yet. I expect there will be an announcement by the end of the season. Scott showed his class today, and was very influential, especially in the first half. That bit of class and experience saw us through.”
The performance of winger Will Sharp, in his first year out of the academy, gave cause for optimism, as he touched down a hat-trick of tries for McDermott’s side, who were impressive on the back of their woeful 66-12 mauling at home to bottom-club Castleford. “He has greatly improved,” McDermott said of the 22-year-old. “He looks erratic, like the Wildman of Borneo, but there is actually quite a lot of skill to him. He just gets better and better.”
Hill, 31, was instrumental as Harlequins stormed to a 22-0 lead in the first half. Quins broke the deadlock on 17 minutes through full-back Chris Melling, who was sent under the posts by prop Danny Ward’s scissors move.
Four minutes later Hill found second row and captain Robert Purdham, tipped by McDermott to be in Tony Smith’s World Cup squad come October, who flicked a clever pass to send Sharp over for the first time. With five minutes of the half remaining Hill offloaded to Purdham in the tackle and the 28-year-old found centre David Howell on the overlap. Two minutes later Hill, sensing another numerical advantage, fizzed a pass to Purdham, on the half-way line, who shipped on to Howell. Sharp was in support to score in the left corner.
Bradford, missing half-back Paul Deacon, and with Sam Burgess, Glenn Morrison and Tame Tupou out for the season, fought back well after the interval, scoring 24 unanswered points. Tries from Simon Finnigan, Semi Tadulala, Ben Jeffries and Andy Lynch, and four Lestyn Harris goals handed Bulls the lead until six minutes before the final hooter.
Rikki Sheriffe then dropped on a Danny Orr grubber kick and three minutes later Hill fed Tony Clubb for another score. With the last play of the match Joe Mbu laid on Sharp, who completed his hat-trick.
On his team’s chances of making the play-offs – they are four points behind Bradford, who still occupy sixth – McDermott added: “It is round 24 next week and we are not going to do anything different. We will just crack on and see what happens. We are disappointed to even be in this position, but there are some things that have been taken out of our hands with injuries and suspensions.
“But today the lads were outstanding. About five times this year we have been pipped at the end of the match, and that has hurt us. So it was a relief, more than anything, to win, especially as the momentum had changed so much in the second half.”
Bulls coach Steve McNamara was “bitterly disappointed” with the Bulls’ first half showing, and the result. His injury woes may worsen too, as second row David Solomona hoppled off. “We gave ourselves a lot to do after that first half,” he fumed. “Then we had put ourselves in a position to win, but couldn’t hold on. We are far better than that and should have been stronger.”
HARLEQUINS: Melling; Sharp, Howell, Clubb, Sheriffe; Hill, Orr; Haggerty, Randell, Ward, Grayshon, Purdham, Paul
Interchange: Rinaldi, Temata, Mbu, Heckenburg
TRIES: Melling, Sharp (3), Howell, Sheriffe, Clubb
GOALS: Purdham 4 (7)
BRADFORD BULLS: Platt; Halley, Sykes, Evans, Tadulala; Jeffries, Harries; Vagana, Newton, Lynch, Solomona, Finnigan, Langley
Interchange: Cook, Nero, Godwin, Kopczak,
TRIES: Finnigan, Tadulala, Jeffries, Lynch
GOALS: Harris 4 (4)
REFEREE: MR ASHLEY KLEIN
Labels: Brian McDermott, Harlequins Rugby League, Super League
