By KevT
October 31 2003

NEC Harlequins take on Leeds Tykes on Friday 31st October at Headingley (kick off 8.00pm) in a match they need to win to keep them in the top half of the table. After two consecutive home defeats Quins will be looking to make up for that with an away win against a free scoring Leeds Tykes team.

Quins make three changes to the team that lost 21-30 at home to Sale Sharks on Saturday. In the pack, Ace Tiatia replaces James Hayter at hooker. In the backs, Andy Dunne comes in for the injured Paul Burke who makes the bench but isn’t risked for the full eighty minutes. Chris Bell replaces Andy Reay and Josh Taumalolo takes over at Full Back from Gavin Duffy who moves to the bench. There is one positional change as Mel Deane moves to inside centre from outside centre.

I asked Tony Diprose about the team’s thoughts after their defeat at home to Sale last week. “We were disappointed to lose, but we feel it was a step forward in terms of performance from the previous week compared to the Gloucester match, where by our own admission, we played poorly and took two steps back. I’ve likened the match to our first game of the season, when we played Wasps, except this was the other way round. We dominated in terms of possession and territory but they got into our half three times and scored.”

Diprose Watchning (Andy Hancock)

I mentioned to Tony that Phil Davies had called the Quins back row one of the best in the world, let alone the Premiership, Tony said, “”It’s very nice of him to say that, but he’s probably trying to motivate his team. Their back row are very good but to be honest I don’t think there is a weak back row in the league. They’ll have Persico playing some part in the game on Friday and he is a very good player. Our back row is a good unit to be part of and Pat and Andre are playing really well. Hopefully in the next few games I’ll be able to get my game up to the same level as at the end of last season.”

“Leeds are a very good side. I believe that they are the top try scorers in the League and with Scarborough, Rees and Christophers they have a lot of pace. They’re a bit like the three we put out against Wasps, Ugo (Monye), George (Harder) and Gavin (Duffy). They have proved themselves to be strong finishers if you give them any space. They are a very dogged and determined side who have a never say die attitude. They went to Gloucester and got a bonus point last week which no one has done for quite some time.”

Dippy in Action (Andy Hancock)

Leeds make two changes to the team that lost 19 – 24 to Gloucester last week. Liam Botham comes in for Tim Walsh and Gary Powell replaces Simon Halford. Leeds make two positional changes. Dan Scarbrough moves from wing to full back and Phil Christophers goes to the wing following the return of Liam Botham.

Leeds coach Phil Davies spoke on the Tykes website Leedsrugby.com last week. “This week is another Friday night game at Headingley and I must admit that I have been looking forward to it. Night games at Headingley are something special and it has an atmosphere all of it’s own under the floodlights. Last year we fought out an extremely tight game between ourselves and Quins on a Friday night with the result decided in the final seconds and I am sure that the fans are in for another treat this week.”

“Quins started the season in great form and they have really set themselves up for a big year now. Their win over Wasps on the opening day was a clear signal to the rest of the Zurich Premiership that they mean business this year. Recently, they have had a few hiccups but that makes them even more dangerous on Friday. They have an extremely fast and talented backline and their backrow is one of the best in world rugby, let alone the Premiership. It is good to return to Headingley this week after winning our last two games at home. Headingley is an important place for us and we are extremely proud of our record here.”

Leeds are captained by England ‘A’ loose head prop, Mike Shelley. Mike is Leeds through and through and is an effective scrummager. Their pack do not look as strong or cohesive when he is unavailable. Rob Rawlinson, plays hooker in the absence of Mark Regan who is away with England. Rob has been with the club since 1999. At tight head, Mike Worsley would have been looking forward to playing against former London Irish colleague Simon Halford who joined Leeds from the Irish in the close season, but Leeds have selected Gary Powell at tight head. Powell is a Wales ‘A’ international who joined Leeds from Cardiff last season. At second row, 23 year old Phil Murphy is one of the best of the next generation of second rows coming through. He normally partners the excellent Tom Palmer but Palmer has a long term injury. Former Saracen, 22 year old Stuart Hooper packs down with Murphy this week. At blind side flanker, former Rugby League player, Matt Salter was one of four players to join Leeds from Bristol Shoguns in the close season. He played an excellent game against Quins last season and is an all action type of flanker. James Ponton is a tall, heavy tackling open side flanker who has been with the Tykes since 1999. At number eight Leeds have been playing flanker Dan Hyde, following the departure of Zac Feaunati to Bath in the close season. Hyde is a very different sort of player. He doesn’t have Feaunati’s physical presence, but he is good at the break down and adds an important link in attack.

Former Sale Shark, Alan Dickens is a good scrum half with an accurate pass and good speed at the break down. Duncan Hodge has 26 caps for Scotland and his current form is good. He likes to make the half break and a number of Leeds’ 20 tries this season have come from his adventurous play. Liam Botham starts in the unfamiliar position of inside centre. Botham has got a fair amount of pace and is an elusive runner, but is he an inside centre? We’ll see. It certainly shows the ambition that Phil Davies is bringing to this match with his selection. Former Neath centre Tristan Davies moves from inside to outside centre. Ex Bristol and England winger Phil Christophers moves from outside centre where he has been playing so well to wing. I’ve always seen Christophers as a bit of a one trick winger and the move to outside centre seems to have revitalised him, but Leeds obviously feel that for this match they prefer him on the wing. Dan Scarborough, who has caused Quins a number of problems in the past moves to Full Back. Scarborough is quick and a strong runner and his move from wing to Full Back is, in my opinion, to counter Quins kicking game. If Quins kick to Scarborough in space then he has the ability to run them ragged. On the left wing, David Rees starts. I have always been a big fan of Rees. He is quick and elusive and doesn’t sit on his wing and wait for the ball. If it hadn’t been for injury, he would have earned substantially more caps than the 11 that he has received so far.

The Tykes selection is interesting. They were unhappy with the form of their pack at the start of the season and the enforced absence of Tom Palmer and loss of Cameron Mather have affected their side. Palmer is one of the top line out jumpers in the country and Cameron Mather is the type of all action flanker that all teams love to have. Leeds supporters will be keen to see how New Zealand born Italian International Flanker Aaron Persico plays when he comes off the bench on Friday night.

Leeds Pack last season (kwin)

It is the Leeds backs that have been really firing in recent weeks. They have a good half back combination in Dickens and Hodge and Phil Davies has been adventurous with his centre combination. I wonder if the straight running Mel Deane might find get a bit of joy running at Liam Botham? The Leeds back three rank with any in the country. Rees, Christophers and Scarborough should not be given space as they are excellent runners and adept at bringing others into the game if the ball is kicked to them in space.

Against a side as good as Sale and with Quins’ injuries, a couple of mistakes can cost you a game and that is what happened. A knock on from a tap penalty by Ben Willis and Matt Moore’s missed tackle effectively killed the game for Quins. That said, Quins line out last week improved and they were able to apply pressure to Sale but lacked the cutting edge to turn the pressure into points. Quins will be bolstered by the return from injury of Ugo Monye, Chris Bell and Josh Taumalolo in the backs and Ace Tiatia in the forwards. All of these players are capable of getting over the gain line and may give Quins the penetration that they have missed in the last two games.

Quins will hope to get their fair share of line out ball against Murphy and Hooper and whilst the Leeds front row is solid, it is not destructive. This is where the game may swing in Quins’ favour. With decent possession, Quins’ forwards driving game may punch holes in the Leeds defence.

Quins were unlucky to lose to Leeds last season and will be looking for revenge on Friday night. Quins forwards competed well against a very physical Sale Sharks pack. They will be looking to their back row to isolate Leeds runners and turn over ball to release the likes of Monye and Keogh on the wing. It will be interesting to see if Quins game is any different with Andy Dunne at Fly Half. He has certainly injected some pace when he has come on as replacement for Paul Burke. I can see him giving more opportunities for Quins’ strong running centres to have a bit more space in which to play. Leeds are likely to play a very open game and I can see a high scoring match. Quins pack can certainly compete with Leeds. The question for me is whether Quins can keep a handle on the pacey Leeds back three and cover Hodge’s breaks at Fly Half. If they cut down space for Leeds’ backs then they can win but probably by less than a converted try.

NEC Harlequins: 15 Josh Taumalolo; 14 Simon Keogh; 13 Chris Bell; 12 Mel Deane; 11 Ugo Monye; 10 Andy Dunne; 9 Ben Willis; 1 Mike Worsley; 2 Ace Tiatia; 3 Jon Dawson; 4 Bill Davison; 5 Jim Evans; 6 Pat Sanderson; 7 Andre Vos; 8 Tony Diprose

Subs: 16 James Hayter; 17 Ceri Jones; 18 Laurent Gomez; 19 Karl Rudzki; 20 Roy Winters; 21 Paul Burke ; 22. Gavin Duffy

Leeds Tykes: 15. Dan Scarbrough; 14. Phil Christophers; 13. Tristan Davies; 12. Liam Botham; 11. David Rees; 10. Duncan Hodge; 9. Alan Dickens; 1. Mike Shelley (c); 2. Rob Rawlinson; 3. Gary Powell; 4. Phil Murphy; 5. Stuart Hooper; 6. Matt Salter; 7. James Ponton; 8. Dan Hyde

Replacements; 16. Simon Halford; 17. Matt Holt; 18. Scott Morgan; 19. Aaron Persico; 20. Ryan Walker; 21. Matt Cardey; 22. Tim Walsh