Harlequins
Preview: Harlequins v Northampton Saints
By Worried of Whitton
January 30 2009
Harlequins are back in action this weekend in the Guinness Premiership against Northampton in a rearranged fixture. This will be Quins first home league match of 2009, after their match against Worcester was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Kick off at The Stoop is at 15.00 on Saturday January 31st.
The two sides met just six weeks ago away at Fortress Franklins Gardens when Saints took the honours, winning 23-13. It should be remembered that Saints have not at home for over a year and played against a somewhat exhausted Quins side after their double success against Stade Francais, and a Quins that lacked discipline that day playing a quarter of the match with just 14 men.
Northampton will find themselves against a more focussed Quins team at The Stoop on Saturday. Despite qualifying for the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup, Harlequins begin to build their campaign to ensure qualification for next year’s competition. This is also their first GP game of 2009, after their match against Worcester was postponed earlier this month. By not playing three weeks ago Quins have slumped to their lowest league position in eighteen months and will be looking for a home win to get back into the top have of the league, a target that they should easily achieve. There are two other games this weekend, on what was originally a rest weekend. London Irish and Gloucester slug it out at the top, and Worcester Warriors take on Sale. Quins are 12 points off the top of the table with one game in hand over most of the teams ahead of them
|
|
Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | PD | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Irish | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 293 | 171 | +122 | 7 | 39 |
| 2 | Gloucester Rugby | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 268 | 222 | +46 | 5 | 37 |
| 3 | Bath Rugby | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 272 | 227 | +45 | 5 | 35 |
| 4 | Sale | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 184 | 144 | +40 | 2 | 34 |
| 5 | Leicester Tigers | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 255 | 228 | +27 | 2 | 32 |
| 6 | Saracens | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 280 | 223 | +57 | 6 | 30 |
| 7 | Harlequins | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 256 | 233 | +23 | 5 | 27 |
| 8 | Northampton Saints | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 233 | 254 | -21 | 1 | 23 |
| 9 | Wasps | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 200 | 242 | -42 | 4 | 20 |
| 10 | Worcester Warriors | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 168 | 196 | -28 | 2 | 18 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 163 | 279 | -116 | 2 | 16 |
| 12 | Bristol Rugby | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 146 | 299 | -155 | 3 | 9 |
There has been some debate about the potently of the Quins pack, they were severely panned by some commentators during their first season back in the top flight, but those same players have shown their capabilities this season. A report published earlier this week, which the other Premiership sides will already know from their research, shows that the Harlequins pack have lost the fewest number of scrums and rucks in the Premiership so far this season. Quins have lost just 5 scrums against Saints 14, whilst the two sides are closer in the ruck. Quins are top losing just 30 rucks, whilst Saints have lost 34 against the worst performer, Gloucester on 52. Pre season the Quins front five were described in one publication as “baby wet wipes”. Ceri Jones said this week that this sort of criticism fired them up. The article was displayed at the training ground as a motivator to the pack, and that certainly seems to be paying dividends, as we have seen. The pack did not want to be the weakest link.
The team selection will be affected by International call ups, with Easter and Care with the England Team, and Monye getting over his back spasm. The good news is that Strettle is now coming back to full fitness and as some specially designed boots to ease the pressure on the outside of his foot, after a third operation on his damaged metatarsals. Despite the lack of Danny Care, Quins do have the England’s second best scrum half in their squad whose services they can draw on. The team did what they needed to do last weekend to gain the home advantage in the Heineken Cup, and Malone especially had a good game at No 10, with Evans at 15.
Harlequins broke their four game winless run with a 29-24 victory at home to the Scarlets on Saturday. Harlequins are also unbeaten in their last five home games in all competitions since losing to London Irish 32-17 at the Stoop in the EDF Energy Cup in October.
Northampton Saints have won their last four matches since a 14-25 defeat at Bath in the Guinness Premiership at Christmas Saints have won two of their last three away encounters, although they have lost their last ten games away from Franklin's Gardens in the Premiership since a 10-9 victory at Leicester on 24 February 2007.
As discussed, Northampton won 23-13 when the two teams met in the Guinness Premiership on 20 December, and they also have an excellent record at the Stoop having won 8 games, and lost just 3. So this will be no stroll in the park for Quins, but they are expected to press their home advantage and come away with the points. It will be tough game, and Quins need to be on their mettle and control their discipline, especially with a French referee, which is bound to add another dimension to the game
Come on You Quins!
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Stumbleupon30/01/2009 11:49
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You can't always get what you want, But if you try sometimes well you might find, You get what you need.
Richards/Jagger
I do hope I'm not stood next to you tomorrow, I fancy a bit of ribbing about Spencer leaving/our (more recent than your) spell in ND1/the fact our Chairman can't keep his mouth shut on the RFU etc...
Hopefully I'll be stood next to one of the 99.9% of Quins supporters who have a sense of humour.
You can't always get what you want, But if you try sometimes well you might find, You get what you need.
Richards/Jagger
I do hope I'm near earlgrey instead!!
You can't always get what you want, But if you try sometimes well you might find, You get what you need.
Richards/Jagger
St Owen - Hope you enjoy your trip to the Stoop tomorrow - most of us have a sense of humour (let's face it, as you know from experience, you need it in relegation seasons) - we missed you coming down last season - nice to see you back in the Prem.
I am just hoping for a good game - looking at both sides, and the forecast for a dry if cold day, we might get to see a fair few tries tomorrow.
