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Quins claim Middlesex Sevens

Saturday 16th August 2008

Making Amend: Topsy Ojo's speed did for the Dragons in the opener

Harlequins won their first Middlesex Sevens title for 18 years after ending the British Army's hopes of reigning supreme at Twickenham on Saturday.

England internationals David Strettle and Mike Brown played starring roles as Quins won the prestigious tournament for the 14th time.

It proved a richly-deserved triumph, with Strettle scoring six tries in the competition to showcase his enviable finishing power.

First round:

The curtain had gone up on the European season! London Irish kicked off the Middlesex Sevens by recording a patient 28-19 victory the Dragons of Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

England's 12 top-flight clubs are all present, as are the Dragons and the Ospreys of the Magners League. The final two spots are taken by Leeds Carnegie of National League One and the British Army.

The Dragons made a good first of the opening game, but the visitors from across the Severn were ultimately undone by the speed of Topsy Ojo and the nous of Paul Hodgson.

Harlequins sent a strong squad to across the A316 and they duly underlined their intentions by dispatching Leeds. He might still need to work on his grounding technique, but David Strettle was the star of the show, scoring to tries on the way to a 27-0 win.

Sale Sharks ensured that the Welsh would not gatecrash proceeding by opening with a thumping 26-5 win over the Ospreys.

A young Gloucester side took the first of the season's bragging rights by smashing Bath 24-5, winning the West Country derby at a canter. Bath had high hopes here but now must make do with the plate. The sight of Matt Banahan being stood up by neophyte Dan Norton will surely by a highlight of the tournament.

Worcester, last year's losing finalists, opened with a 21-12 win over Bristol, with Marcel Garvey and Miles Benjamin to the fore.

England's two heavyweights were next into the ring, with Leicester pipping Wasps 19-14 in extra time. The Tigers did their best to deny the Wasps of any possession, and Tom Croft opened the scoring with a controversial try in the right corner.

The Guinness Premiership champions, coached by Josh Lewsey, hit back with a fine try of their own. But Leicester's Rickie Aley celebrated his 18th birthday by taking the lead with a chip-n-chase try in the 11th minute of the match.

Wasps hooker Rob Webber crashed over under the sticks to leave the scores level in the last minute of the game, thereby forcing the 'golden score' in extra time. And it was George Chuter, of all people, who sealed the deal by collecting a pop from Croft to win the game.

The British Army weather a slow start to book the final place in the Cup quarter-finals, recording a robust 22-12 victory over Saracens to show why most rate them as favourites to take the spoils.

Saracens were quickly behind the eight-ball following a try double by the Army's Mark Lee, but Richard Haughton gave them hope when he touched down on the stroke of half-time.

Apolesi Satala and Malikai Magnus secured the Army's passage, giving them a 22-12 verdict and completing a quarter-final line-up of Irish versus Newcastle, Harlequins against Sale Sharks, Gloucester versus Worcester and the Army against Leicester.

Cup quarter-finals:

The Army then put Twickenham on full alert for a third Middlesex Sevens title by powering into this season's semi-finals.

Displaying a familiar array of South Sea Islanders - a key element of the Army's victories in 2001 and 2004 - they followed up their impressive first-round win against Saracens by knocking out Leicester.

Captain Mark Lee, whose try double helped account for Saracens, set the ball rolling with a well-crafted score that signalled alarm bells throughout the Leicester team.

Tigers were then powerless to prevent a breakaway try by Semesa Rokodugni, before Apolesi Satala added a third touchdown - which meant Croft's touchline dash could not lift Leicester spirits.

Satala's second score and a breakaway by Filipe Tawayaga then sealed the deal, giving the Army a 31-7 success.

Surprise package Gloucester now stand between the Army and them recapturing the Russell Cargill Trophy, after they sent Worcester packing.

Gloucester beat a hugely-disappointing Bath side in round one - and a young squad well led by centre Jack Adams made an immediate statement of intent against Worcester when Freddie Burns converted his own try.

Worcester, last year's runners-up, had started slowly against opening opponents Bristol; yet they hauled themselves level with a Miles Benjamin try that summer signing Matthew Jones improved.

But they could not hold Gloucester after that - as tries from Adams, Andres Pretorious, Mark Foster and Dan Norton meant Gloucester triumphed 31-14.

Harlequins, seeking their 14th Middlesex Sevens title, continued to prosper from the influence of England internationals David Strettle, Nick Easter and Mike Brown.

After sweeping aside Leeds Carnegie, Quins' sharper attacking edge blunted quarter-final opponents Sale Sharks.

Strettle and centre Gonzalo Tiesi scored tries that opened up a 14-7 advantage - and although Sale refused to throw in the towel, Brown's late clincher saw Quins through 21-12.

It booked Quins a semi-final clash against holders Newcastle, whose impressive defence meant they cruised into the last four.

Falcons, first-round conquerors of Northampton, wasted no time getting to grips with quarter-final opponents London Irish.

The Falcons posted four first-half tries from Ollie Phillips, Luke Fielden and an Andrew Fenby double - while fly-half Rob Miller kicked three conversions for an unassailable 26-0 advantage.

Irish could not remotely match Newcastle's organisation and angles of attack, and the Falcons knew they had a semi-final spot reserved with half the game still remaining.

But the experienced Phillips ensured there would be no let-up - adding his team's fifth try within a minute of the restart, leaving a pedestrian Irish side chasing mere consolation.

Not even Irish's England wing Topsy Ojo could make headway as a Micky Young touchdown in the closing stages saw Newcastle triumph 40-7.

Cup semi-finals:

We will have a new winner! Harlequins dispatched Newcastle Falcons, the defending champions, with a 29-14 victory that secures the men from across the way a spot in the final.

Quins will do battle with the Army in the final. The servicemen secured their spot in the final by handing Gloucester a 24-10 defeat in their semi-final.

Cup Final:

Harlequins won their first Middlesex Sevens title for 18 years after ending the British Army's hopes of reigning supreme at Twickenham on Saturday.

England internationals David Strettle and Mike Brown played starring roles as Quins won the prestigious tournament for the 14th time.

It proved a richly-deserved triumph, with Strettle scoring six tries in the competition to showcase his enviable finishing power.

The Army, winners in 2001 and 2004, once again packed their squad with South Sea Islands talent, including Fiji international Apolosi Satala.

They knocked out Saracens, Leicester and Gloucester to move within one more victory of lifting the Russell Cargill Cup, but Quins were having none of it as they prevailed 22-12.

Quins richly deserved a place in the final after seeing off Leeds Carnegie, Sale Sharks and Newcastle, and they roared 10-0 ahead in the final when Brown and Epi Taione crossed.

Satala and Semesa Rokodugni replied to secure a 12-10 interval advantage for the Army, but Brown's second try restored a narrow Quins advantage, then Strettle struck to seal the win.

Quins, bidding for their first title since 1990, breezed into the final by ending Newcastle's reign as holders.

The Falcons looked well on course to reach a second successive final after grounding Northampton and London Irish, scoring more than 60 points in the process, but Quins proved too tough an obstacle.

Strettle emulated his try double against first-round rivals Leeds by claiming another two touchdowns in Quins' 29-14 success.

Forward powerhouses Taione and Chris Robshaw also featured on the scoresheet as Newcastle ran out of steam, despite the promptings of experienced playmaker Ollie Phillips.

The Army grew in stature following a first-round success against Saracens, whose squad featured six players with experience of the International Rugby Board world sevens series.

A 22-12 verdict booked a quarter-final appointment with George Chuter's Leicester. Chuter clinched his team's last-eight place with the winning try that stung Wasps.

Tigers though, were never seriously in the hunt, subsiding 24-7, and the only surprise surrounding the Army's semi-final appearance was the identity of their opponents, who were Gloucester.

A youthful Gloucester squad captained by centre Jack Adams eased past a hugely disappointing Bath side in round one, before they nullified Worcester's twin strike threat of Miles Benjamin and Marcel Garvey.

Worcester, runners-up a year ago, were strongly fancied to reach another semi-final, yet Adams claimed one of Gloucester's five tries in a 31-14 success.

But the Army proved a test too far for Adams' troops, and despite consolation tries by Guy Thompson and Jonny May, they leaked four touchdowns in a 24-10 defeat.

Wales' twin assault on Twickenham, meanwhile, fizzled out inside 90 minutes of the nine-hour tournament kicking off.

No Welsh side has won the competition since its launch in 1926, and there was precious little to cheer this time around as Newport Gwent Dragons and the Ospreys both suffered first-round defeats.

The Dragons, far more organised than their fellow Welsh challengers, lost 28-19 to Irish, while the Ospreys never remotely threatened to take off during a 26-5 loss against Sale Sharks.

As Quins celebrated, there was further success for the 12-strong Guinness Premiership representation when Saracens beat Northampton to claim the plate prize for first-round losers.

It might have proved a low-key success in the tournament's overall context, but Saracens' silverware was their first under Australian rugby director Eddie Jones at the start of a season that could see them challenging for honours on domestic and European fronts.

Middlesex Sevens - results:

1: Dragons 19 London Irish 28
2: Newcastle Falcons 21 Northampton Saints 12
3: Harlequins 27 Leeds Carnegie 0
4: Sale Sharks 26 Ospreys 5
5: Gloucester 24 Bath 5
6: Worcester Warriors 21 Bristol 12
7: Leicester Tigers 19 Wasps 14
8: Saracens 12 British Army 22

Plate quarter-finals:

9: Dragons 14 Northampton Saints 29
10: Leeds Carnegie 33 Ospreys 7
11: Bath 10 Bristol 21
12: Wasps 10 Saracens 34

Cup quarter-finals:

13: London Irish 7 Newcastle Falcons 40
14: Harlequins 21 Sale Sharks 12
15: Gloucester 31 Worcester Warriors 14
16: Leicester Tigers 7 British Army 31

Plate semi-finals:

17: Northampton Saints 25 Leeds Carnegie 17
18: Bristol 12 Saracens 31

Cup semi-finals:

19: Newcastle Falcons 14 Harlequins 29
20: Gloucester 10 British Army 24

21: Plate Final Northampton Saints 7 Saracens 26

22: Grand Final Harlequins 22 British Army 12