This season promises to be different in a number of ways. Following the outbreak of peace and the new deal between the Clubs and the RFU giving England exclusive access to elite players during the Autumn Tests and the Six Nations Championship in the spring, which means that some players could miss up to nine Premiership matches, and that is without any injury! Depending upon your view this could be good or bad for Quins as they only have scrum half Danny Care in the Elite group, with a number of other players selected for the Saxons Squad. The exclusion of David Strettle, Will Skinner and Nick Easter from the elite squad can only help Quins in their push for honours this season.

In addition we all have to get used to the dreaded Experimental Law Variations ELV’s which stand trial in the Northern Hemisphere this season. The jury is still out on this as we have yet to see how they work in practice but there are many purists who are looking forward to the day when “ELV’s has left the building”.  Deano’s view is “You have to accept the fact that they are there, if you ve done your homework on them then hopefully you will have the game plan in place and you will have a good understanding as to what they have to offer. Everything should be done and dusted and in place now. Whether they are right for the game or not is irrelevant because they are there for the season.” In contrast Eddie Jones launched a withering attack on the experimental laws as he views this as a misguided attempt – orchestrated by Australia- to make the sport more exciting. “These changes have been made with a view to entertainment, not to improving rugby.”

A new season and with the late announcement of our new major sponsor last year, Quins have unveiled a new kit as well this season. This has been worn by the team in the three pre season matches played in August. There has been concern voiced that this seasons’ kit appears to be too black, the traditional colours taking a lower profile .In addition to the side seams which appeared last year the Etihad Airways logo is now emblazoned across the front of the shirt on a black background. With apologies to Jagger and Richard,

“I see a Quins Shirt and I want it painted black, No colours anymore I want them to turn black.”

We must hope that on Saturday the team run out to their tradition “London Calling” rather than “Paint it Black” or even the opposition’s “Men in Black.

Harlequins significantly continued their improvement since returning to the Premiership and last years LDH match against London Irish showed that the Quins meant business. Dismissed as a ‘lower half club” last September, with a poor front five Harlequins, proved the critics wrong as they spent the whole of the 2007-08 never dropping out of the top six, occupying all six league positions including the top spot at some time during the season. After the Premiership highs of the season, we won t discuss the cup matches) it was disappointing in finishing sixth. Ironically in earlier years Quins supporters would have given their right arm to finish that high. As the season drew to a close the team appeared to run out of steam in the last few games. The final day defeat at Leicester condemned them to finish in sixth place and missing out on a playoff position, which seemed to be inevitable at one stage. At least the perennial underachievers tag has been passed to Saracens who also looked like finishing in the top four only to dramatically fade after Christmas, being sapped by their Heineken Cup run to finish in eighth place.

Saracens will be affected by the loss of their talismanic No. 7 Richard Hill who retired at the end of last season, but they have sought to strengthen their squad with the signing of Steve Borthwick from Bath, who becomes captain, and additional signings in van Heerden, who has yet to arrive, and Barritt from South Africa and Jacobs, from Waratahs and Michael Owen from Newport Dragons.  Pre season games have gone well for Saracens who narrowly lost away from home to Bayonne before winning their next three matches against Western Force, Toulon and Newport Dragons, but Saturdays match will be their first match for two weeks unlike Quins who played last weekend. It is always difficult to predict the Saracens Season, and this year is no different, with some predicting a top four finish whilst others suggest another year of under achieving but with Eddie Jones at the helm you have to expect them to shake off that tag. Like Quins, Saracens only have one player, Borthwick, in the England Elite squad which will help them in their push for silverware.

Harlequins have made a number of signings over the summer with the Star Buy of the season being Nick Evans (NEv) the highly accomplished New Zealand fly half, who many believe is better than Dan Carter. Evans bringing solid experience, cunning and guile to the back line, something that was sorely missing after the departure of Mehrtens. Rupert Bates commented in the Telegraph last weekend that “Evans has signed a three year contract and when the history of the Premiership comes to be written, expect him to feature in the  Best overseas signings chapter”  Of himself Evans has said “I'm here to help Harlequins achieve their ambitions and improve my game.”His signing fills a much discussed gap in the line up that has now been successfully plugged,  Evans is fast, very fast , a fine tactician and distributor of the ball, and is strong in the tackle and of course can kick! Pairing up with Danny Care gives Quins the fastest half back pairing in the Premiership.  As Bates concluded “The Stoop is Evans’ new home, Adrian Stoop - now he wasn’t a bad outside half either.

In addition the centre has been strengthened with the arrival of a wily Tiesi from London Irish and also on the wing with Epi Taione and in the forwards with Shane O’Connor from Munster and Neil Mc Millan from Ulster and finally a further investment at scrum half with a young Gareth William from Neath. All appear to be settling into the team very well, and whilst pre season matches can never indicate how the season will go, from three matches Quins won two out of three. From those games the loss at Connacht was a typical first game of the season played away from home in atrocious conditions, and by all accounts showed that the team had not played for a few weeks The win at home against the “old foes” London Irish was a sweet win and added some Premiership experience to the pre season schedule. Finally the cricket score victory last weekend against Overmach Parma may well indicate a mis-match it will have given the team a huge boost in confidence and enabled them to test game plans out in a match as well as a flirtation with European opposition. After these pre season matches, Dean Richards was happy that “The squad is looking pretty good. We have a great balance between youth and experience and the side is maturing. That is a big difference from three years ago. I never set targets as such; I always feel they should endeavour to be top dogs.”

Eddie Jones the Saracens Director of Rugby sums it up very succinctly, talking of himself and Saracens but his words also apply to every other Premiership club as we wait for the new season to start; “There is a weight of expectation but that is good, why would you want to be anywhere else?”

There is much anticipation and much to look forward and with the first silverware of the season already in the trophy cabinet after winning Middlesex Sevens, the season is looking very bright for Quins. This will be a close match but I expect Quins to win, and be back at the top of Premiership on Saturday night!

Let the games begin!

Come on You Quins!

The other Premiership matches this weekend are being played on Sunday;

Late News Saracens have announced their starting line up ahead of Saturdays game it is as follows;

15 Dan Scarbrough,14 Francisco Leonelli,13 Kevin Sorrell,12 Adam Powell,11 Kameli Ratuvou, 10 Glen Jackson,9 Neil de Kock,1 Nick Lloyd,2 Matt Cairns,3 Cencus Johnston,4 Steve Borthwick (c), 5 Hugh Vyvyan,6 Chris Jack,7 David Seymour,8 Michael Owen
Subs: 16 Fabio Ongaro,17 Cobus Visagie,18 Andy Saull,19 Ben Skirving,20 Moses Rauluni, 21 Gordon Ross,22 Rodd Penney,

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• GP Results Roadmap: 2008-09 Preview

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

Harlequins Poll