By Quaking Quin
March 5 2007

Another dogged performance keeps hopes of a top 6 finish alive but an inability to take the opportunities that could easily have given Quins a win against the league leaders means a play-off place is now looking out of reach.

ROUND 17

The league has now divided into three separate battles:

1. The four play-off places – Tigers are sitting pretty with Bristol losing again, so the 3 remaining places are between Wasps, Sarries, Gloucester and an injury weakened Bristol.
2. Final Heineken Place – between Irish, Quins and Sale.
3. Relegation – between Wuzz and Saints but Falcons might still get dragged in. 

As for Quins:
Predicted Total Points after Tigers: 46  (originally 40pts for 11^th place)
Predicted Finish Position after Tigers: 8th

Deano would have settled for a bonus point from this game at the start of the season but after some excellent recent form managed to contain his disappointment at not picking up the four points that would have kept a top four finish a distinct possibility:

"We came here with nothing to lose and came away with a point. We have to be happy with that and we might have had more if we had taken our chances.” 

Although our DOR has another committed performance on which to build, he must still ensure victories in all 3 remaining home games and pick up 2 or 3 more bonus points along the way to secure 6^th place in the league. Quins are lucky to be playing both Heineken rivals at home but we are obviously building up to another nail-biting game against Sale on the last day of the season.

From our lofty league position the scrap for 11^th slot can be viewed with morbid curiosity. All is not over with Wuzz winning their first home game this season, while Falcons and Saints both blew it - Saints fans must be feeling the same way we did in 2005 after going 5 up against Gloucester but eventually losing 5-7. A telling comparison is with the league positions at the same stage in Quins’ relegation year.

Sunday 4^th March 2007:

 

Sunday 27^th February 2005:

(Figures in brackets give final league positions and points)

Interesting to note that Gloucester just held on to 6^th place in 2005 with 47 points – coincidentally the 46 points currently predicted for Quins this year would also have placed them 8^th then. However, the coaches down at Worcester must be constantly reminding their lads that Leeds managed 17 points from the last five games and ended in 8^th position. Another 17 points for Wuzz would take them up to 38 points – not Quins’ favourite number – but a figure that might be too much for a dispirited Saints. Good luck to Pat and Kai.

A ‘must win’ weekend coming up for every team in the GP but let’s hope Deano also has the hint of a smile next Saturday by improving on his original forecast for the Wasps match………….

Deano’s roadmap for 06/07 started as: