By Worried of Whitton
January 25 2007

After failing to qualify for the knock out stages of the European Challenge Cup NEC Harlequins return to the scene of their downfall at The Recreation Ground and also face the team that halted their progress. Bath play Harlequins in Round 14 of the Guinness Premiership on Saturday January 27th.

Once again there is an early kick off time at 14.15pm that enables the match to finish before it gets too dark.

This will be the fourth meeting of the two clubs in European cup and domestic league matches. Just three weeks ago Harlequins seized the initiative and beat Bath in dreadful conditions at The Stoop, winning by just 9 -3, but a well fought victory too. The match was played in dreadful conditions with a heavy of downpour rain resulting in large pools of standing water on the pitch. It was clear that Quins had the upper hand in this match when Bath spent the first half defending in their own half, which could be clearly scene by comparing the two halves of the pitch. Stoic defence by Quins at the end very end of the match prevented a snatched win by Bath and illustrates just how far the team have progressed this season.

This is further illustrated and emphasized by the statistics, discussed below. I am indebted to a thread raised by Linkinquin a couple of weeks ago which did not pick up any response on the board. Linkinquin had analysed Quins performance over recent games and compared it with the other Premiership clubs. He had similar thoughts to myself. Over Christmas, I discovered that Harlequins have picked up at least one match point in everyone of their last 15 games since October, a feat that had not previously been recognised or reported. In the all the matches they have lost Quins always picked up a bonus point, and therefore as the table shows have to be the most improved side in the Premiership. 

The table shows GP performance based on matches played between the weekend of November 4th and January 1st The results are slightly skewed by the fact that six teams have one game in hand, however Quins total of 28 points cannot be bettered even by a five point win from Bristol’s game in hand.

As Linkinquin stated "this is of course this does not guarantee that Harlequins, or any other team will maintain current form, it should however give us all an increased sense of hope for our team this season." This does give us all a sense of hope for the coming games we yet to play. We have five matches away and four at home to complete the season, three matches against teams below us and six above as the table currently stands. With the additional news that Dean Richard’s injury problems are currently almost resolved; this does set us in an optimistic mood over the next weeks. We need to write off the first five games of the season as a learning curve, although there were three of those games, against London Irish, Leicester and Gloucester which we should have won, but for lack of experience back in the Premiership.

Despite the performance on the pitch last weekend, we do have a lot to smile about. Harlequins did all that they needed to do last Saturday pick up five points for a win, albeit  with a laboured performance There was never a hope of going out and playing to exceed Newcastle’s try tally, against a side like Connacht, and with Newcastle playing Italian opposition that tally was going to increase. We had to get the five points and wait and see how the other results fell, unfortunately it was not to be, although we now have just one focus, The Guinness Premiership, to consolidate our position and push for the highest placing we can achieve.

The State of the Union, in the Guinness Premiership is currently shown below;

The fixtures this weekend are the reverse of those of scheduled for January 1^st. Worcester have a tough away match on Friday night at Wasps, and one has to expect an away win for Bristol at Northampton. Leicester are expected to win at home. The aim this weekend is an away win at Bath. In the ECC match just before Christmas, Quins squandered numerous chances close to the try line and should have walked away with the spoils. There is no reason to suggest that they can't achieve an away win on Saturday. I predict a very close match, and unlikely to see much flowing rugby, although that will depend to some extent on the state of the pitch after the recent rain. I m confident to predict a Harlequins win, based upon the results of the last eight games, although playing at home it is likely that Bath will collect a bonus point. Whatever, it is an anxiously awaited game, and Harlequins will know exactly what is expected of them, from supporters and management and indeed themselves. The team sheet is eagerly awaited.

 

 

Come on You Quins!