This is a tough competition and Harlequins must target this match as a bonus point home win if they are to stand a chance of making the play off stages of the competition.

A distraught and red faced, Scarlets team face the prospect of a tough match away in Paris, which could all but end their European Aspirations for another year. After Round One The Heineken Cup Pool 4 Table looks like this.

Last Saturday’s match has to go down as one of “Quins Greatest Hits”. As I walked home from my local pub, after the match my thoughts swimming with what I had just witnessed merged with remembering an earlier activity that morning when I reviewed the Queen back catalogue ahead of going to see their concert at the O2 on Monday night..... “Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?”   The analogies were strong, and somewhat contrived.

From the kick off Quins were “Under Pressure” as Scarlets stole an early lead in the first minute, and six minutes later when Jones went over for their second try, “Another One Bites the Dust”. Scarlets were dominant throughout the first half and I sat watching waiting for the “Hammer to Fall”. By half time with Quins on the wrong end of a 19-3 score line the match was “In the Lap of the Gods”, and I wondered whether there was a chance to “Save Me” from an ignominious defeat. After a half time team talk, when John Kingston reminded the squad that they were 20-3 up against London Irish just a few weeks earlier in a match that Quins went on to loose, the team came out with “One Vision” and realised what they had to do to “Play the Game”. Harlequins changed their game plan, in the second half and gradually began to claw the back the gap via the boot of Malone.

After an inspired triple substitution on 54 minutes when Easter, Fuga and Robson took to the field Quins effectively announced their intention to the opposition “We Will Rock You”, and went on to do so. With a try following a quick Care tap penalty and Malone’s beautifully weighted kick into the path of a sprinting Monye Quins took the lead and half on to it. Certainly the second half can be described as “A Kind of Magic”, as the team celebrated a great victory – “Killer Quins”! Whilst it is far too early to endorse Quins season with the strains of “We are The Champions” with a good start in the Premiership and their first Heineken Cup win since 2002 certainly “These are the Days of Our Lives”. I understand that Sara Orchard also contributed on air with her “Radio Ga Ga”.

The first rule of the Heineken cup is you should always win your opening game. The second is that you should never lose at home, Quins successfully negotiated rule one and look set to pass rule two this weekend, and set up a pair of eagerly anticipated back to back matches against Stade Francais in December

Ulster had a torrid time on Saturday in their Pool match against Stade Francais, going down 26 -10 they broke the first two rules of the Heineken Cup losing their first game and at Home.  This was their fifth defeat in six games this season and Ulster had a number of injury concerns ahead of this weekend’s match against Quins Stephen Ferris is named in Ulster's squad despite a rib injury but Clinton Schifcofske has been ruled out with a knee injury. There is some concern regarding Prop BJ Botha, but it is believed he was suffering from cramp. Ulster won this competition back in 1999, but they are having a very poor season this year, lying at the bottom of The Magners League, and the away win by Stade Francais was their first win at Ravenhill after four reverses. Ulster were no match against the power of the French forward pack, and their poor handling gifted a number of opportunities to their visitors. Ulster were down 0-16 at half time. Despite  a response with an early f second half penalty the Ulster fight back was soon crushed with a second  converted try from the Parisians and the match win was effectively sealed mid way through the half with a drop goal by Hernandez.

After the match, Ulster coach Matt Williams was pleased with is teams battling qualities “I m proud, you can only ask players to give everything and they didn t turn it off for a second” This suggests that Ulster will not lie down at The Stoop on Saturday, Quins confidence will be very high and there is a strong possibility that the Stadium will be close to capacity. Quins have to target this for a  four try bonus point win to keep the pressure on the pool leaders and maintain their momentum going into the crucial pool 3 and 4 matches. .Barring injuries, Quins are expected to announce the same line o up as last weekend, Despite the euphoria of last weeks win in Llanelli, I hope the team have had some additional tackle practice in their training sessions  this week. Here is looking to another European Win.

Come on You Quins!

Quins
TBC

Ulster
J Fitzpatrick; N Brady, T Court, R Best, B Botha, C Del Fava, E O'Donoghue, R Caldwell, M McCullough, K Dawson, R Diack, S Ferris, D Pollock, N O'Connor; B Cunningham, T Nagusa, D Cave, A Trimble, R Dewey, C Willis, I Boss, P Steinmetz, I Humphreys, M McCrea, P Wallace.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Harlequins A 26-13 Wasps A