Harlequins triumphed over Brive in a tense European Shield quarter-final
thanks to an outstanding try from England centre Will Greenwood.
Greenwood ran in from 80 metres to turn the match in favour of Quins and
ensured an exciting end to the season for the Zurich Premiership club.
Quins had taken a fifth-minute lead from Steve White-Cooper which was
converted by Paul Burke and the visitors looked set for a comfortable victory.
But this was a different Brive side from the one that had taken the field and
beaten London Irish in the pool stages a fortnight ago.
Showing a great deal of passion and tenacity, the French side slowly began to
take control.
A penalty from Warren Burton, one of seven non-French players in the side,
gave Brive their first points and within minutes they scored a try which took
them in front for the first time.
It came after some exceptional pick-up-and-drive play had set up a superb
field position and from a ruck close to the Quins line Philippe Christophers was
able to stretch over by the posts and with Burton converting the home side were
10-7 ahead.
A further penalty from Burton a minute before half-time increased Brive's lead
but the visitors were able to come back strongly in the second half.
Burke landed a penalty after 53 minutes and 10 minutes later came Greenwood's
outstanding score after Matt Powell had made a mark inside his own 22 and the
ball was spread from right to left and Greenwood finished off a mesmerising
80-metre run to put the visitors in front. Burke's conversion gave Quins a
useful cushion and a penalty in the final minute from the same player sealed the
win.
Teams
Brive: Lapoutge, Hardy,
Christophers, Bowker, Bias, Burton, Farfart, Smith, Curnier, Crespy, Begley, Jaques, Hutton,
Malafosse, Vermeulen, Maumus.
Replacements: Courrent for Bias (64), Maumus for Crespy (58), Bennett for Hutton (70), Socol for Maumus (66).
Not Used: Cherrier, Hours, Le Roux.
Tries: Christophers.
Cons: Burton.
Pens: Burton 2.
Harlequins: O'Neill, Greenstock, Greenwood, Burrows, Daniel, Burke, M. Powell, Leonard, Wood, Dawson, Morgan, White-Cooper, Winters, Wilson, Peters.
Replacements: Codling for Morgan (13), Sanderson for Winters (57).
Not Used: Richards, Chalmers, Woods, Starr, Fuga.
Tries: White-Cooper, Greenwood.
Cons: Burke 2.
Pens: Burke 2.
Att: 10,000
Ref: Ian Ramage (Scotland).
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