1
Video: Harlequins lock Lewies 'ran out of lungs' after try-scoring gallop from own half
By Online Editors
Stephan Lewies was still struggling for breath in a post-match TV interview after he delivered a first-half try for Harlequins that saw the lock grab an intercept near his own 10-metre line and run all the way to score in the corner against Gloucester.
There were 33 minutes gone in the game at Kingsholm when Gloucester scrum-half Stephen Varney worked play towards the right-hand side from a ruck on the Harlequins' 10-metre line.
He played a one-two with Matt Garvey and then flashed a pass towards Louis Rees-Zammit that was gobbled up by Lewies, his left hand securing the interception.
Quickly transferring the ball to his right hand, the lock took off with more than half the length of the pitch to run and although he had support from Danny Care, he had enough gas in the tank to make it to the corner and score despite Ollie Thorley chasing him down.
However, his lung-bursting effort took its toll and he required a couple of puffs of an inhaler to eventually get him back on his feet and ready to continue after his try put Harlequins 21-3 clear in a Premiership match they went on to win 28-15.
"It was a try out of nothing," enthused ex-England and Lions wing Ugo Moyne during the replay of the try on television. "My word, take a breath. He's shattered, isn't he?"
Speaking after the win about his first try in 14 Premiership matches, Lewies, the 28-year-old who signed for Harlequins from the Sharks after a loan spell at the Lions, gasped: "I ran out of lungs in the first half with that run. It took me a while to recover but the win makes it a bit better.
Lewies, who was captaining the Londoners for the first time, was credited with 67 metres off three carries after he was given the man of the match award.
His lung-bursting effort capped a round of high-scoring Premiership fixtures that included some novel names on the scoresheet.
The previous day, Northampton tighthead prop Paul Hill demonstrated some Lewies type swagger to run in his first Saints try from the Leicester 10-metre line.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
3
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner
4
Let's be real about these All Blacks
5
Latest Comments
i think Argentina v France could be a good game too, depending on which Argentina turns up. The most difficult to call is Scotland Australia.
Go to commentsSmith is playing a different game with the rest of the backs struggling to understand. That's the problem with so called playmakers, if nobody gets what they're doing then it often just leads to a turnover. It gets worse when Borthwick changes one of them, which is why they don't score points at the end. Sometimes having a brilliant playmaker can be problematic if a team cannot be built around them. Once again Borthwick seems lacking in either coaching or selection. I can't help but think it's the latter coupled with pressure to select the big name players.
Lastly, his forward replacements are poor and exposed either lack of depth or selection pressure. Cole hemorrhages scrum penalties whenever he comes on, opponents take advantage of the England scrum and close out the game. Is that the best England can offer?
Go to comments