By OxonRob
September 28 2005

It is difficult to comment positively on a one-sided game, but I find it just about possible to do so. London Irish lost the first half 0-38, but drew the second half 7-7. That is a stunning improvement. However, the reasons for it are not so obvious, and are subject to some guesswork.

On looking at the team sheets I commented that if we could hold them to 20 points we’d be doing well. There was evidently a great deal more experience in the Quins side. They fielded nine 1^st XV squad players in their starting line up to our three. Perhaps significantly, six of them were forwards against one of ours. We fielded ten players under 21, and had six Academy triallists on show. Presumably they were therefore not used to playing together.

I shan’t do a complete report, but will reproduce my notes on things that struck me.

Some courageous but essentially individual defence and attack throughout, but we played like a scratch team in the first half and paid the price. Little teamwork in attack. Dreadful tackling, too. We looked like the proverbial soft centred chocolate in the middle of the park, as the impressive Quins back row and centres had a field day, doing what they wanted when they wanted. How come this was possible with the two Fs in the Irish centre? Possibly overwhelmed by sheer numbers? The second half was a different matter and our defence was far better – although Quins took some pressure off the gas, and by now had a lot of guys playing out of position.

Worth commenting on:- Quins

• 15 Mike Brown. He looked worth a place in their 1^st XV and he is still in the Academy! Great lines. Great running through traffic. Hard to stop. I am a fan.
• 14 Kiba Richards. Only scored one try but his pace, vision and above all his silky running suggest greater potential than the much-hyped Monye.
• The centres Harder and Masson. Not fased by Feau’nati and Franze, opposite.
• The entire back row with Nick Easter starring. Fast, and went through our centre regularly in the first half, less in the second.

Worth commenting on:- London Irish

• Only five minutes in Tom Warren (3) and Mike Worsley (Q1) were taken aside for wise words from the ref. So he’s an England international? I can handle him! (and he did, pretty well.)
• An Irish centre (Couldn’t tell from distance but I think it was Feau’nati, playing at 12) kept making outside breaks with outside support and playing keep-ball. Not clever from a senior pro. He got nowhere.
• A nice break up the right by Franze (13) on 15 minutes ended with a chip ahead bundled into touch just in front of the line. Nice play.
• Metzger (9) who had a blinder at Bath, had a torrid time trying to clean up ball that squirted and bumbled all over the place at the back of the scrum. His replacement Graham Barr (20) looked altogether more comfortable when they changed places after 37 minutes, and he got his line going well.
• Honeyben (was bun?) (10) has very fast hands. With two Quins in his face all night, he still managed to ship useable ball to Dom Feau’nati.
• We were marched back ten from a penalty for backchat to Mr Ashton-Jones.
• David Law (22) did a first half spell on the wing and came back later. Didn’t realise our ‘Office Johnny’ takes a bit of stopping, has pace and is a feisty tackler.
• 20 year old skipper Gary Johnson (4) taken aside by the ref after the umteenth wheeled scrum. Gary never dropped his head or his effort. Good leader.
• Feau’nati. Confused by this guy. He showed better as the 2^nd half lengthened. Fights the tackle well, but why do I see so little evidence of pace and vision from an international wing?
• 18 year old Matt Banahan (5) keeps popping up at speed and twice looked like going clear. One to watch, as he fills out. An Ally McHarg in the making?
• Hickie (17) on after ten of 2^nd half and faced Tani Fuga. Visibly stiffened the scrummaging, and very active in the loose. On this showing Gavin will soon challenge for a starting spot in the 1^st XV. To be fair, haven’t really seen the Irish front row buckle once. Nice work Adam Halsey (1) and Tom.
• Ben Reboul (15) becoming perkier as the second half progresses. Suffered a high tackle but made some good runs.

I am aware that there were an awful lot of changes to our original selection, caused by both new and unhealed injuries to selected players. Indeed I have the impression that there may have been a time when we did not think we could raise a team, let alone a smile! We thus ended up with a scratch side containing several people new to the colours. Presumably, there was also the need to keep others fresh for Sunday’s match against Wasps? (Bearing in mind the outstanding quality of such as Ojo and Geraghty, I do hope that they and their ilk, and perhaps the odd Argentinian, are available for selection and get selected.)

What seems obvious is that fielding a side with a considerably different specification of personnel does not do a lot for the less experienced or younger players in opposition - or indeed for the bemused spectator, who attends hoping to watch a good game of rugby. More seriously, such an experience might even destroy the confidence of otherwise potentially useful younger players.

However, there isn’t a lot you can do at the last minute with a big game at the weekend, and a shedload of injuries. It was one of those things, and those of us who enjoy the ‘A’ League games will doubtless fare better another day.