Quins make three changes to the team that beat Wasps 27 – 14 at The Stoop on Sunday. Luke Sherriff replaces Ace Tiatia who is absent for family reasons. Luke will play open side flanker and Captain Andre Vos will move to the blind side. Nineteen year old Andy Reay makes his first team debut at inside centre replacing the injured Nick Greenstock. Scott Bemand replaces Nick Duncombe at scrum half who has not recovered from a hamstring injury picked up in the first minute against Wasps. Jason Leonard, Will Greenwood and Bill Satala are absent on international duty. Keith Wood, Pat Sanderson, Roy Winters, Chris Bell and Dan Luger are also absent all due to injury.

Speaking exclusively to Comeallwithin.co.uk, Quins backs coach Paul Turner said, “It was important to beat Wasps at home on Sunday because we’re still chasing our first away win. The manner of the performance was highly committed and defensively we were sound. Burkey (Paul Burke) had a substantial impact and Greenstock and Rob Jewell were excellent.”

I said to Paul that at the start of the season commentators were expecting Quins to play a more attacking game with him as Backs coach but we didn’t expect to see four wingers playing as they were on Sunday. “I didn’t either. We have three full time centres with Will Greenwood, Bill Satala and Chris Bell but with international call ups and injury we have lost those three. Nick Greenstock has been part time but has responded in great fashion. Rob Jewell is known as a wing but has also played centre. I was really enthused with Rob Jewell’s performance on Sunday. When I came here I was known as an innovative coach and the way we played Sunday doesn’t mean we have a lack of ambition. Sometimes this season we haven’t battened up the hatches, for example, in the last minute against Saracens when we leading 30 – 29. We’ve left a lot of points on the table this season. The spirit in the squad is excellent and we want to get that vital away win which will push us up into the top half of the table where we know we should be.”

Nineteen year old centre Andy Reay is making his debut on Saturday and I asked Paul about the young players. “We’ve done a lot of work with the young players. It’s a testament to Ev’s (Mark Evans) youth policy which he’s always spoken about. It’s a difficult away game for Andy but he’s shown no nerves this week and knows the way we play ahving played for the Under 21’s and the 2nd XV.”

“Northampton are a very good side and they have had the same problem with absences as us. They’ve still got Reihana, Sleightholme, Grayson, Beal, Rob Hunter’s a good player and John Phillips is an excellent player, a club stalwart, so it will be a difficult task. If our performance is good enough then we can win this game. We are improving all the time.”

In the corresponding fixture last year, Quins lost a ten point lead in the last quarter to draw 13 – 13. Quins were down to 13 men as both Ace Tiatia and Bill Davison were sin binned following an ill tempered start to the match.. Quins scored a try through Ben Gollings which was negated by a try from Ali Hepher.

Northampton Saints are the only team Quins have played this season with an absence list to match. Steve Thompson, Robbie Morris, Ben Cohen and Matt Dawson are all with England. Budge Pountney and Tom Smith are with Scotland and Steve Williams will be with the Welsh squad. Also absent are Mark Connors (shoulder), Peter Jorgensen (knee), Matt Stewart (ribs) and Grant Seely (knee).

In the Saints Press Release this week Head coach Wayne Smith said: “International games and injuries have depleted our squad, however I prefer to think that come next June, we will look back on this as a lucky period. The game against Leeds threw up some young men who were prepared to put their bodies on the line in the Saints jersey.”

In their match against Leeds Tykes last week Saints had lost ten players to injury and absence and after 38 minutes were down 3 –18 conceding tries to George Harder and Dan Scarborough. A try from Rob Hunter in the second half and penalties from Paul Grayson saw Saints take a bonus point as they closed the gap to 19 – 26 by Full Time.

The Northampton pack has been devastated by injuries. International Andrew Blowers who will have a real battle with ex South African Captain Andre Vos at blind side flanker. In the backs New Zealand sevens player Bruce Reihana moves from centre to wing to accommodate England Under 21 international Chris Hyndman. Northampton, despite their many absences have a useful looking back line with the evergreen Paul Grayson (who has caused Quins problems before), Scotland International John Leslie at inside centre and ex England internationals Jon Sleightholme and Nick Beal at Wing and Full Back respectively.

Quins should have the edge up front to batter the inexperienced Saints pack. Look for them to get a push in the scrum and for Codling to steal some line out ball. I think Quins will try to create holes by driving close to the rucks and suck in Saints defence through the driving maul. I can’t think of a game in the past six or seven league matches where the Quins forwards have been on the back foot. Quins supporters will be looking forward to seeing Andy Reay make his first team debut at inside centre. He and Rob Jewell are likely to have their work cut out against Leslie and Hyndman. Saints will be looking to Grayson to control the game and it will be up to the Quins back row to get at him. They will also try to get the ball out quickly to their speedy back three of Reihana, Sleightholme and Beal.

I take Quins to win this through their forwards. Vos will be much happier at blind side flanker where he won’t have to follow the ball around. Look for more driving runs from him this week. Northampton have a chance if Quins lose their discipline and allow Grayson to control the game through his boot. If they can cancel Grayson out then they can win by more than a converted score and possibly get a bonus point.

NEC Harlequins 15. Nathan Williams ; 14. Matt Moore; 13. Rob Jewell 12. Andy Reay; 11. Ben Gollings; 10. Paul Burke; 9. Scott Bemand 1. Bruce Starr 2. Tani Fuga 3. Laurent Gomez 4. Bill Davison 5. Alex Codling 6. Andre Vos (Capt.) 7. Luke Sherriff 8. Tony Diprose

Replacements: 16. Pablo Cardinali, 17. Jim Evans, 18. James Hayter, 19. Kai Horstmann, 20. Matthew Powell, 21. Ugo Monye, 22. Seb Fitzgerald


Northampton Saints 15 Nick Beal 14 Jon Sleightholme 13 Chris Hyndman 12 John Leslie (Capt) 11 Bruce Reihana 10 Paul Grayson 9 Johnny Howard 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Dan Richmond 3 Chris Budgen 4 Jon Phillips 5 Rob Hunter 6 Andrew Blowers 7 Darren Fox 8 Mark Soden

Replacements 16 Matt Miles 17 Kelvin Todd 18 Matt Lord 19 Simon Hepher 20 Ian Vass 21 Oriol Ripol 22 James Brooks

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