The Daily Mail, January 12, 1914
 

ONE-SIDED RUGBY.

——♦——

HARLEQUINS’ EASY WIN AT
RICHMOND.


By P. G. WODEHOUSE.

 

Harlequins ... 37 pts.     Scottish ......... 0

What the result of this game would have been if the Scottish had had their regular team it is difficult to say; but Posterity will kindly note that owing to the trial up north they were without a number of their best men, and what the Harlequins did to the unfortunate survivors was a shame.

The crowd seemed to recognise the farcical nature of the proceedings at an early date, for the game was punctuated by roars of happy laughter.

The start was delayed quite a quarter of an hour while the rival beauty choruses were photographed. At about 3.5, however, the Harlequins wrenched themselves reluctantly from the camera, relaxed their smiles, and scored in the corner, Birkett just getting over after being tackled on the line. A few minutes later Ling started a loose rush and Ward scored. At intervals the Scottish forwards would rally, but the Harlequins were always on top, and Lambert and Birkett added tries, the total at half-time being 16 points to nil.

Just for a few minutes after half-time the game became quite tense and exciting and there seemed a chance that the Scottish forwards might prevent further scoring. But the Harlequin backs were too fast, and it was not long before the scoring began again.

The first of the new series of trials was a real gem.  A. H. Hudson got the ball in his own half near the right touch-line and dodged and swerved across the field, scoring finally near touch on the left. It was a brilliant piece of individual work. Lambert got the next after a good run, and a minute later got another. Then A. H. Hudson scored again, neatly avoiding touch in goal. The same player also scored the final try. Mollison ought to have tackled him, but by that time, one imagines, the fine edge had worn off Mollison’s enthusiasm. He had the air of one who wants to get the thing over and go home to tea.

A feature of the game was that there was not a single free kick. The Scottish forwards stuck to it creditably all through, but their backs were so slow that their task was hopeless. I have seldom seen a match in which the impossibility of one side scoring was so evident from the kick-off.