O’Shea warns nervy Quins as final beckons
HARLEQUINS director of rugby Conor O’Shea admits his troops will have to learn to cope better under pressure after they overcame a nervy start to book their place in the Aviva Premiership final.
The table toppers needed a try from Joe Marler five minutes from time to edge past Northampton 25-23 in Saturday’s semi-final at the Stoop. Quins will now meet Leicester in the Twickenham showpiece on 26 May and O’Shea knows they must rediscover the form that took them to the top of the league to win their first ever final.
He said: “I think the tension got the better of us in a lot of ways. We had so much territory and possession, and it looked like the game could be gone. I think the supporters and players deserve this. We want to make sure we do ourselves justice in the final now.”
Leicester reached an eighth successive final by beating Saracens 24-15, leaving the defending champions’ boss Mark McCall bemoaning a missed opportunity.
“Leicester are a top-class side, and while we had some opportunities, we did not take them,” said McCall.
Aviva is the proud title sponsor of Premiership Rugby. Tickets for the Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham on 26 May are available with a free rugby shirt at www.premiershiprugby.com/freeshirt