By AlanQuin
January 13 2003

So are you still suffering? Is it getting worse? We have arrived at the start of a new week. By Friday the lack of anything to write about which has not already been done to death will cause the whole thing to be come intolerable. There is nothing for the anticipation to build upon. But once again Quins are not playing and all there is to feed our addiction, if we are not going to watch some other team in order to avoid those odd jobs about the house which are still not done, is television.

Assuming you can get away with it two week-ends running, much rugby is being shown on television which you can watch, particularly if you have Satellite TV available. Friday at 19.15 on British Eurosport there is an unspecified match. It will probably be Ulster –v- Northampton although Glasgow are playing Llanelli at the same time. Saturday brings Biarritz -v- Cardiff at 14.00 on Eurosport. Kicking off forty-five minutes later, BBC 1 is showing Munster -v- Gloucester, a potentially titanic battle from Thormond Park. At 17.30 for those who do not mind the commentary being in Welsh SC4 is showing Pontypridd –v- Connacht. On Sunday, at 13.30, again on Eurosport there is the Bristol –v- Leinster and London Irish –v- Toulouse matches. One in full and the other highlights. There is also that uninspired version of Rugby Special.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. For those who can make the expedition across the bridge, Quins 2nd XV are playing Newport 2nd XV at Rodney Parade at 7.30 p.m. on Monday evening. Once again I shall have something more sensible than television to think about. And as soon as that has passed, with what I hope will be the 2nd XV’s ninth win of the season, I can start to suffer again the anticipation of a third battle in the Cup against Leicester. The season will have started again. Is there another final at Twickenham on the horizon, this time with victory for Quins? At least I wouldn’t have to watch that on television.