By PerryGo
May 16 2003

How times change. We were distraught as we left the Stoop because Harlequins had beaten Leicester Tigers by only three points… Pinch me – am I dreaming?

It never even occurred to me that we’d lose the game, but can we now win the tie..?

It was a bit of a curate’s egg of a performance really wasn’t it? Great first half, almost complete dominance by Quins (or so it felt). The team looked good and looked confident. Dangerous in attack, dominant up front and rock solid in defence. Carrying on from where they left off in the second half at Adams Park, really.

And then, just as I’m beginning to dream of what we might achieve next season if we can play like this, displaying some real assurance and confidence, we start to look very tired and the defensive formations begin to get a bit ragged. Tigers start to play – didn’t they look poor in the first half? – and we begin to leave holes. Suddenly 20-3 and 23-6 seem distant memories.

I reckoned before the game we would be aiming at a target of a 15 point lead to take with us up to Cheetah HQ. It probably sounds as ridiculous to read as it feels to write, but, yes, that’s what I thought we’d have in mind. And what’s more, I actually thought that sort of lead was going to be possible, as the half time score seemed to prove. But then, the wheels started to come off the wagon a bit and what looked scarily reminiscent of the Quins second half foibles of old began to appear.

Was it our fitness levels? Was it Jonno and the other reinforcements coming on? Or were we unrealistically optimistic, and simply playing beyond ourselves in the first half?

Whatever, with Mark Evans (or is it ‘new boss’ Mike Scott? See the surely-they-know-what-they’re-talking-about BBC Report publicly declaring a policy of ‘front five’ rotation of which Brendan Venter would be proud, this had to be just about the strongest team we could have put out. Let’s just hope Mike Worsley doesn’t read about the new policy (he is a prop, so I suppose that’s unlikely) since it’s supposed to be one of the things he didn’t like at Irish.

Under the immense shadow of Prof’s influence (and when I say ‘immense shadow’ I know what I’m talking about) I feel compelled to be positive and to start with the sincere belief that we can go to Welford Road and come away with the result. After all, although the atmosphere is more intimidating for players and officials alike than at Wycombe’s (sorry, Wasps’) ground, the challenge is comparable. Wasps had just as much to play for on the day, remember, and they are in better form than Tigers.

Just about everybody who has played in those last two matches deserves credit, but I think a particular mention should go to the pack as a whole. Both sets of front five played well in the games, and the back row was immense too. Imagine – Quins able to field two different front five formations against Wasps and Leicester in less than a week and win both games..! Expect a bruised and weary back row on Sunday though – wonder if Sanderson will be a starter?

In the backs, the departing Matthew Powell played like someone looking to impress the scouts (I hope he lands up somewhere decent). OK so he doesn’t have some of the scrum half attributes that we feel we need – like a quick pass, nippy breaks around the scrum and a low centre of gravity - but to me he seems a good footballer, runs all day, positions himself well and tackles bravely. Does anyone else remember him turning out at fly half a few years back when we had one of our periodic injury crises..? I’ve often wondered since whether he couldn’t play that position as a back-up, like Nick Walshe does.

Personally, I think I would have kept him on - might it have been a close call between Powell and Bemand, perhaps, except Bemand was still in contract?

Greenwood and Luger did a few quality bits and pieces, as they usually do, and over the two matches, Burke’s kicking was of a very high standard. The two backs who really stood out though, were Ugo Monye (dream debut, sound match last night to go with it) and Mel Deane.

I thought Mel had to be a candidate for MOTM on both occasions. It’s hard to believe that a guy of that size can be so powerful, not to mention quick and elusive, and he tackles pretty hard too. I thought at the time he was harshly judged when penalised for not making a proper tackle (insufficient use of the arms..) on Wednesday night, but I’d like to see the video. Delighted to see he’s signed for a two year contract.

Lots of people have been baying for Ugo to get a Premiership start for a while now, and he did not disappoint when new boss Mike Scott decided the time was right at Wycombe. You could say it was an unfair fight, matching him up against Kenny Logan, but he still had work to do on both occasions under the high ball. The first one was right in front of us. Had Quins decided to gamble on Ugo’s ability to catch the high ball well against Kenny’s inability to do almost anything well, we wondered? Maybe. Whatever, it worked.

What do visiting fans shout whenever Wasps are awarded a kickable penalty? “Give it to Kenny…”

Joking aside, I can still hardly believe how Ugo turned nothing into something with that first try, firstly changing direction on a sixpence and then skinning Logan and Van Ginsberg as if they were not there, all in a 5 metre corridor from 25 metres out. Or as Dawson would say, 150 metres out. Brilliant. Must be a try of the season contender if Sky were there to record it. Marcel Garvey watch out. Keep up the good work Ugo. Great to see all the Quins players coming over to congratulate him, especially Dan Luger from the opposite wing, with a broad grin on his face and a big bear hug for the youngster.

Now, this was originally going to be an article postulating who we should sign for next season but since we’ve apparently done most of that (and announced it without warning me first…) it’s a bit late now.

I plan on analysing all the comings and goings another time, unless someone beats me to that too, but all that is left for the moment is that mysterious press release reference to Quins ‘expecting to announce one further signing at some stage over the summer’. So who might that be, then?

Much as I would like to have signed a top rated fly half (no offence to Andy Dunne, who I have not seen play) and with half an eye on which youngsters are expected to come through next season, I reckon the ‘candidate positions’ must now be second row and centre, in that order. With an outside possibility of scrum half or wing. Simple maths suggests we’ve got the budget left for a decent signing or two.

I reckon that although we’ve got a number of excellent younger locks coming through, we could really do with signing a top drawer, big and powerful second row in his late twenties.

Subject to pricing and availability - the rugby equivalent of “if we had some smoked salmon we could have a smoked salmon sandwich…” - I’m thinking Danny Grewcock, Ben Johnston, Kieran Bracken and David Rees. Not all to play lock, you understand…

If you’ve never exposed yourself to public ridicule before, write an article for this site. It never fails…!

And so to next Sunday. Winner takes all.

We may have stooped at the Stoop, but at least we’re ahead on points. We can still conquer at Welford Road.

See you there. Come on you Quinssa…!