By Worried of Whitton
September 29 2006

This week NEC Harlequins play their first match in the newly created EDF Energy Cup (Anglo- Welsh Cup) competition when they play the Llanelli Scarlets down in deepest South Wales – there's lovely!

The match is at Stradey Park on Sunday October 1st and for the second week running there is another obscure kick off time of 14.10 - ten past two, to tie in with coverage on BBC 2 Wales.  The Anglo Welsh Cup was created last year and replaced the  English domestic “League Cup”. It is a mini league competition  of three matchs, a semi final and final. The groups are made up of three “local” English clubs and one Welish club. Sale and Newcastle are the other two members of this group, as Quins replace Leeds who were relegated from the Premiership at the end of last season.

The start of their respective seasons could not have been more different. Harlequins are languishing in eleventh place in the Guinness Premiership and have yet to win a match this season. In contrast Llanelli sit at the top of the Magners Celtic league having won four out five of their matches, their only loss, away to Ulster on the first day of the season. Last week Scarlets who unbeaten at home this season beat Leinster 33 -21.

The Scarlets raced away scoring four tries, in the first half as the Irish side folded under pressure from the home side. From the kick off the Llanelli took control as Stephen Keogh dropped Stephen Jones’s kick-off, the Scarlets collected the loose ball. Play went one way then the other, before Dafydd James, former Harlequin scored in the corner. He was to score another try a few minutes later. Indeed Leinster were 27-0 down before they picked themselves up to score a try. Leinster eventually fought hard in the second half and clawed their way back to within 9 points before; Scarlets kicked the last points of the match.

Quins indeed will have to very wary not to fall victim intense early pressure. The first half of their matches so far this year have in the main been their strongest.

At the start of season Quins announced that they would be playing to win in all the competitions they were in. It remains to be seen how they approach this competition. We have been told there is no panic regarding the four defeats. Indeed it was a much better performance last Saturday against Leicester, but indiscipline once more cost Quins a win. Paul Burke was doing his best to keep Quins in the match and until Skinner’s dismissal I was expecting a win for Quins. However, it was ironic that Bemand scored the winning try for Leicester. As well as the losses Quins are also in the midst of an injury crisis, with Mehrtens, So’oialo, Volley, Strettle and Fuga, as well as the suspended Abbott and it is difficult to envisage that Sunday’s match will be treated in any other way than an opportunity of trying out player combinations and getting the two recent signings of Gomarsall and Mc Mullen some match practice. It is likely however that both Care and Jarvis will start, but will be replaced as the match progresses. There is good news is that Vos is available for selection this week

Postings on the CAW site this week commenting tend to agree on this weeks match state “The practice is good, the prize money would be good, but the main thing is to avoid injuries and keep the core squad ready for the challenges of the premiership” and . “Playing good cup rugby is a "nice to have"; staying in the GP is a necessity ”It has to be said the Anglo Welsh Cup or EDF Energy Cup, has appeared to be not that popular with English supporters, and with a French electricity company sponsoring a British domestic competition, it all appears rather incongruous. Martyn Thomas, chairman of the RFU earlier this week admitted that English Rugby had been “pouring a quart into a pint pot for the last ten years but then went on to defend the EDF cup. The income the competition generates is worth £600,000 to each club and it only takes five matches to win the cup and a place in Europe, however the introduction of new competitions increases the chance of player burn out. Thomas added “if we want the sponsor’s money in the game we have to accept the responsibility that goes with it. “Scarlet’s Director of Rugby Phil Davies has also tried to dispel the notion that competition is more of a hindrance than a help, “It’s our view that the EDF Energy Cup is a very important competition. It’s a great competition as far as I am concerned. It gives us the chance to play quality rugby against quality opposition.”   It is clear that the Welsh sides have more to gain from this competition, the winner of which gets an automatic entry into the Heineken Cup. From Quins point of view they probably would have an easier route to the premier European rugby via the European Shield competition. When Sale who play Newcastle in the same group, on Friday announced their squad to play Newcastle on Friday it was clear that they had rested a number of key players, although St Andre is still expecting a big performance from his side.  

Despite enjoying their current success on the field, off the pitch there are major problems at Llanelli and not everything in their garden is rosy, and their valley is not green. Their survival beyond the end of this year is not assured, and is a similar story to one we’ve also seen in England in recent years, as business, commerce and sponsorship take control over the sport.

Scarlet’s chairman Huw Evans, has been devoted his life to save the Scarlets, and get them moved to a new stadium, but this week stated that he will not put another penny into the club, after investing nearly £5 million into the club, unless they were allowed to move to a new stadium quickly which is being created as part of a £45 million sports, retail and leisure development at nearby Pemberton. The future of the club depends on this move, and Evans had hoped to move to the new stadium in August 2007, but building has yet to start. "This is the squad we have been quietly constructing over three years that we wanted to mature to be performing at their new stadium home next September. The timing has slipped, but we still need to move to survive. If we are allowed to do that - and I am not totally confident it will happen - I firmly believe we can become financially successful and conquer European rugby." Another stumbling block is that the club have to sell Stradey for housing to clear existing debts and help fund the move but he local residents are opposed to this and are still fighting to prevent building of homes on the Stradey site. Of the £16.5 million generated by the sale, £9 million was expected to pay off debts with the rest, £7.5 million, going towards the new stadium. But the cost of the move is now estimated to be £10 million because of the delay caused by the plans being called in by the Welsh Assembly. Even though the plans have been approved by Carmarthenshire Council, a final decision will not be made until after a planning inquiry, which starts on November 3rd. It is understood that additional funding is now being sought.

The Scarlet’s have made five changes to the starting line-up for their Sunday’s EDF Energy Cup clash against NEC Harlequins.

In the backs Barry Davies makes his first appearance of the season at full-back, replacing Ceiron Thomas, while Gavin Evans replaces Regan King in the midfield and Clive Stuart-Smith comes in for the rested Dwayne Peel at half-back. Peel’s omission from the team after suffering an elbow injury against Leinster is purely a precaution. In the forwards, James Bater replacing Gavin Thomas on the side of the scrum is the only change in the pack.

Finally it should be noted that all the officials are from Wales, which is rather surprising. In view of the team’s performances so far this season, I regret to say that the likely outcome will be a win for the home side. However, success sometimes does come when you are forced into a team selection due to injuries. Whatever the outcome, I m sure Harlequins will take much more than another loss away with them as they continue to work hard to kick start their season.

 

Llanelli Scarlets
15 Barry Davies, 14 Darren Daniel, 13 Matthew Watkins, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Dafydd James, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Clive Stuart-Smith, 1 Iestyn Thomas, 2 Matthew Rees, 3 Craig Dunlea, 4 Inoke Afeaki, 5 Scott Macleod, 6 James Bater, 7 Simon Easterby (capt), 8 Alix Popham
Replacements: 16 Phil John, 17 Aled Gravelle, 18 Adam Jones, 19 Nathan Thomas, 20 Lee Williams, 21 Ceiron Thomas, 22 Regan King.

 

NEC Harlequins 
Team to be announced

 

Referee: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Touch judges: James Jones, Greg Morgan (both Wales)

 

Come on you Quins!