After six weeks the Premiership table looks like this. 

Gloucester have had a very good start to their season with just one defeat in six matches. That defeat was at the hands of London Irish back in October at the Madjeski Stadium, with the Exiles winning 15-10. 

Gloucester Rugby secured very significant back to back wins over the past fortnight in their pool in the European Cup.  They have prepared for this top of the table premiership match, 1^st v 4^th, by beating Ulster at Ravenhill by 32-14 and Ospreys (Quins EDF opponents next week) 26-18 at home. In the EDF Cup Gloucester however did not far as well with a draw against Newcastle and a narrow loss to Wasps, so it is clear where their priorities lie. With local West Country rivals Bath hot on their heels in second place in the Premiership, they will want to firmly demonstrate their home advantage this Saturday.  The statistics from the previous meetings do not make happy reading for Quins supporters. When the two sides met at Kingsholm in March, Gloucester won 34-25 but Quins scored four tries picking up bonus point and were unlucky not to reduce the deficit to less than seven points as the game ended. Gloucester’s dominance shows that they have won nine of the last ten encounters between the two clubs, Harlequins last victory at Kingsholm was 31-20 in the Premiership eight years ago on 13th February 1999. Harlequin’s last win over Gloucester was at The Stoop in February 2005, when the Cherries failed to turn up. Quins won a memorable victory 38-9, a result which hides the fact that Harlequins played most of the game with 14 men after Tiatia was sent off in the first half. 

Much has been written and discussed about Quins performances over the past few weeks, and there is no real value in recycling that in this preview. Harlequin’s home performance in last weekends Heineken Cup, against Cardiff seems to have produced the loudest concerns, from spectators, supporters and the press. I can add nothing except for a few comments that did not reach the message board.

“D’Oh!” -  Homer Simpson

“I don’t believe it” - Victor Meldrew

“The answer is blowing in the Wind” Bob Dylan

“I don't wanna talk about it”  Rod Stewart

One assumes that the issues on the pitch are being taken seriously and are being addressed, but to those of us watching from the stands it has been sheer frustration, frustration, frustration, over the past few weeks, It is very likely that some of these elements were debated at last nights “meet the players evening” and we will have a report about this shortly.

However, I can exclusively report that my Harlequins Members tie, has come out in sympathy with the team ……..all the stitching has come undone at the back!

Harlequins are without a win in their last three games in all competitions. Mixed fortunes in the EDF cup produced a win at London Irish, with a home defeat by Worcester by one point. A comprehensive defeat in Paris in a game that Quins should have played better, and in which a number of lessons should have been learned, finally last week an ignominious 13-13 draw in a game Quins had the ability to have won by half time. Maybe we will see an improved team performance back in the Premiership, they squeezed a very narrow victory 26-25 against London Wasps in their last Guinness Premiership match on October 20^th, but again there was very poor execution in the match which allowed the visitors back into the game time and tine again

Alarmingly, Harlequins have not won on the road in the Premiership since a 28-15 victory at Northampton in February, and I cannot see that statistic being broken this weekend. Gloucester will provide formidable and fascinating opposition, Quins have nothing to loose so it could be an excellent match, it is down to who turns up to play on the day, however I expect that Quins’ current league position will have slipped by the end of the weekend. Let’s hope I m wrong!

Come on you Quins!

 This weeks fixtures: 

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• November 2007 at Harlequins

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