Harlequins
Easter comes early !!! Harlequins 24-3 Sale Sharks
By Rodders
October 28 2013
….. if Lauren Harries is Minty’s motivation then we may well be in for an interesting season, and if his performance was any thing to go by the Squad needs to take a few tips, because Minty gave one of the finest performances of his career.
It may be his Coq au Vin or the sound of the Cracks? but what or who ever is pulling his strings, that’s all right with me!
Its always brilliant in my book, when we are reminded of the more eccentric qualities of rugby players, sadly lacking in the modern game. Its even better when such a player puts in a performance of such quality and high level of leader ship that a squad of very young players (all with undoubted talent ) are enabled to play with confidence and a degree of gay abandon that they dumped a team who came to the Snoop, ****** it’s the Stoop !! with every reason to expect to turn us over.
Sale have had a great start to the season - Wasps, Bath and Biarritz are great scalps, particularly when not much was expected of Sale after a poor last season.
However, it was with a great measure, of albeit unexpected, pride, that we watched Quins dispatched a strong and confident Sale side.
Quins team performance was primarily down to a performance of great character from Nick Easter.
His example from the KO established an attitude that built throughout the game.
Botica kicked well and although in my mind not being big enough for 12, grew in stature.
The Wallace try was a beauty
Losing our iconic Captain and having such weakness in key areas through out the team put huge pressure on the remaining senior players, so I single out Nick because leadership by example is rare and in this game Nick, playing out of position in the second row, gave a performance of example and leadership that encouraged and enabled the young players to overcome fear and inhibition, and put in performances that after the first 40 minutes, put Sale well and truly on their backsides.
Sale didn’t help them selves – I don’t know the penalty count but Sale gave away far too many.
The strength of Sale in the forwards was largely overcome by a Quins pack dogging it out and denying Sale any possession – Quins made fewer mistakes and were generally more dynamic for the 80 minutes.
The confident foundation statement laid down my Easter in the first few minutes created the environment for the young players to thrive, exemplified by Wallace taking a great kick from Snapper and the finale of Clifford scoring an brilliant opportunistic try after coming on for an injured Guest. A truly ironic achievement from a position that we know is so badly under resourced due to injury.
I was a game we had to win.
We won !
Quins 24 Sale 3
PS
I feel it not inappropriate to comment on the match day experience – only my opinion of course – The Master of the Mike was much more acceptable, not a Mad Max but pretty good and IMHO will grow into the job nicely.
Half Time entertainment was fine, bring back the Girls and all will be well
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I also thought the interview with the England women was good. I agree he's no MM but a great improvement on the Manc fella
Also have to say was surprised by Milli Vanilly, looks like someone had a word
Interesting argument with the lad about whether a yellow should have been given to the Sale player who clattered him off when chasing the kick through, the ball went into touch so it could not have been a try scoring chance, but if the ball had run on to ingoal it would have been a try scoring chance and therefore a yellow card? Why should the same offence carry a different punishment?
SiBolton... impressed with MilliVanilli? You must have been watching a different game from us lot in FC. Every time the ball got near him we looked on in horror as he practically shat himself. His tackling was simply down to being in the way, his body positioning was awful. Am sorry to say that I saw no redeeming features in any of his play.
Still... I hope its fitting in with his 'business plan'.
and didn't say impressed I said surprised, in so much as he actually managed to make a tackle in stead of just wave as they run past
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:10:28:14:34:05 by SiBolton.
He has to go looking for work but never has and never will.
The contribution of Minty was huge - I was so impressed, he was a Rock in the style of O'Connell, which is real praise.
The Girls - please bring them back - if they are good enough for the Patriots they are good enough for us
on on quins
Good write up in Telegraph, loved Easters comment ''As far as I am concerned Im a Quins man''
