Campbelltown Harlequins will have to wait another year to win the Illawarra Rugby Premiership after a heartbreaking three point loss in the preliminary final on Saturday, reports our rugby correspondent ANDREW CHOICE.
Playing in their second successive final in two seasons, the gallant Quinns again narrowly missed a berth in the grand final after going down 35-32 to Shoalhaven at Shoalhaven Rugby Park.
Shoahaven meanwhile, will play in their fifth straight final, taking on Kiama in Wollongong next Saturday.
Harlequins started the game with real purpose, however could not break a very staunch Shoalies defensive line.
Seven minutes in Quins were forced to take a penalty shot and lead 3-0.
Shoalhaven finally got some ball and on the back of a number of Harlequins errors they played some excellent running rugby to shoot out to a 21-3 lead 10 minutes before half time.
Harlequin finally managed to put some phases together and were able to score and pull the score line back to 21 -8 late in the half.
However as has been the way all season they failed to secure the kick off and Shoalhaven responded immediately to push the lead out to 28 points to 8.
From the kick off Quins secured the ball and were able to end what was a frantic 10 minutes with a try on the bell to pull Shoalhaven’s half time lead back to 28-15.
Early in the second half both sides exchanged tries and after 10 minutes of end to end rugby Shoalhaven looked comfortable leading 35 points to 22.
Quins then knuckled down and played some very positive football.
But while they scored the next two tries they were unable to convert either and were left trailing Shoalhaven 35-32 with 10 minutes to go.
Harlequins mounted raid after raid on Shoalhaven but were unable to get that last try which they deserved after a dominant second half.
While it was five tries a piece, goal kicking proved the issue for the visitors.
Shoalhaven booted five goals from 5 attempts while Quins only managed three from 6 and that proved the difference in the end.
For Harlequins it was a sad end to what was a great season that saw them secure the minor premiership on the back of only one defeat in the regular season.
If they can keep this side together, they will be a real threat again next year.
The season has been a good one for the club overall with not only the men going deep into the competition but the women making the playoffs in the Sydney competition and the under 18s also bowing out in the semi finals of the Sydney competition.
The junior club has had some strong results and the numbers are looking good.
Despite this disappointment it has been a great year for the Quins.
