By KevT
April 30 2004

Quins take on Bath at The Stoop on Sunday in their last home league game of the season. The match kicks off at 2.00pm and will be covered live on Sky Sports Extra. Quins need a win to keep themselves in fifth place and still with home advantage for the Heineken Cup play offs. Bath require a win to keep them on track for a Premiership Final at Twickenham without having to play a play off match first.

Quins make one change to the team that held out so well to beat Connacht in the semi final of the Parker Pen Shield. Bill Davison will lead out the side in what could be his last match at the Stoop.

Billy has been a great player for Quins over the years. He has been a fierce competitor on the pitch playing initially in the back row for the club. He has proved himself to be a very versatile player by moving into the second row and doing a great job at the front of the line out. Off the pitch Billy has always had a smile for everyone and is a friendly approachable guy. The supporters will miss him.

Billy will have a tough job on Sunday against Bath who have a very strong pack. Ex Quins loose head David Barnes played at loose head prop last week for Bath but Bath's player of the season David Flatman may have recovered from an Achilles injury to take his place. At hooker ex Welsh international Jonathan Humphreys usually gets a half of rugby and is then replaced by young prospect Lee Mears. Humphreys is still a peerless thrower in to the line out and a strong scrummager. At tight head, Duncan Bell has started most of the matches this season. He has been a rock for Bath this season although his work around the park isn't spectacular. The South African born England prospect Matt Stevens who made such a good debut for England against the Barbarians (and scored a try to boot) is an excellent replacement although he is also struggling with an injury. Alex Clarke has been recalled from loan at Bristol by Bath and will act as cover should Flatman and Bell not recover from their injuries.

In the second row, captain Danny Grewcock plays. He is a very strong and tough player. England showed how much they missed him in the six nations when he went off injured against France. He has just signed a new two year contract with Bath. Steve Borthwick is a very agile second row who will take the majority of their line out ball. He has also made quite a few steals this season. Rob Fidler, the ex Gloucester lock is a very able deputy.

In the back row Andy Beattie now appears to be getting the recognition he deserves at international level. He is a big no nonsense type of blind side who is a real pain to the opposition in the tackle area. He also provides a good option at the back of the line out. The young James Scaysbrook played open side last week. He is promising but not quite as effective as Bath's first choice Michael Lipman who joined them from Bristol last season. Lipman may well be back in the side after injury and is at the top of the list of open side flankers to replace Neil Back at international level. Isaac Feaunati, the Samoan number eight is a real battering ram type number eight. Expect to see him running at Paul Burke from the base of the scrum. He makes the hard yards and commits tacklers which creates space for others.

At scrum half, ex Wasp Martyn Wood has had an excellent season. He has a very fast pass but perhaps isn't as quick from the base of rucks as others. The quandary in selection for Bath this week will be the Fly Half position. Olly Barkley looked out of sorts last week and Bath may choose to pick Mike Catt here whilst moving Barkley to inside centre. Catt had a wonderful game when he came on last week and nearly helped the club pull back an impossible deficit against Montferrand. He is currently being linked with a move to Leeds. If Bath wish to retain him then owner Andrew Brownsword will have to put his hand in his pocket. At inside centre Barkley might start. He has had a great season and his kicking has been excellent. Last week South African international Robbie Fleck played inside centre. Fleck suffered a very nasty injury at the beginning of the season. He is a straight runner and hard tackler but doesn't have that much invention. The same might be said for Kevin Maggs, the Irish international who played outside centre last week In Mike Tindall's absence, this is not the most inventive midfield in the league. In fact it has been cruelly suggested this week that Mike Catt's cut out pass was designed for Maggs playing at inside centre. He did have a great game against Quins at the Rec last season.

On the wing, Scottish international Simon Danielli is a strong runner. He is difficult to stop when he gets up a head of steam as he did earlier this season for Scotland in the World Cup. On the other wing, the very quick South African Wylie Human will play. He has real speed although his defence is sometimes suspect. He has signed for Northampton next season. The ever reliable Matt Perry is likely to start at Full Back.

Bath play a forward dominated game. They have a very strong pack which has been almost ever present throughout the season. They have bullied and dominated matches up front. In the last few games this pack has begun to look tired and has not had the same impact. The injuries in the front row may take away one of Bath's great attacking weapons. The love to create pressure in the front row in attacking scrums and then let Feaunati run at defences from the base of the scrum.

Tiredness and injuries in the forwards has exposed some of Bath's frailties in the backs where there appears to be a lack of ideas. Enter Mike Catt who, as England know, can re-ignite any back line. Catt is still suffering from the same hamstring injury that has plagued him for two seasons now and there are question marks over whether he can last the full eighty minutes. Bath love to play a pressure game and do not give the opposition time or space. This is the same way of playing that John "Knuckles" Connolly adopted at Queensland. At the Rec earlier in the season, Bath played the same way and Quins kicking game was not up to it that day.

Five months on and this is a different Quins side. Harder and Greenwood are back and give Quins many more attacking options. Simon Keogh's faster pass gives Paul Burke a bit more time on the ball. Simon Miall has returned from injury refreshed. If Quins can secure decent possession at the line out then they have the creativity and threat out wide with Harder and Monye to sore tries against a Bath side that will be looking to Mike Catt to reinvigorate their back line. Home advantage will also be a factor and once again the match will probably be decided in the last ten minutes. I predict a Quins win but by less than a score.

NEC Harlequins: 15. Gavin Duffy; 14. George Harder; 13. Will Greenwood; 12. Mel Deane; 11. Ugo Monye; 10. Paul Burke; 9. Simon Keogh; 1. Ceri Jones; 2. James Hayter; 3. Jon Dawson; 4. Bill Davison; 5. Simon Miall; 6. Pat Sanderson; 7. Andre Vos (Capt.); 8. Tony Diprose

Replacements: 16. Cameron Dott; 17. Mike Worsley; 18. Laurent Gomez; 19. Jim Evans; 20. Luke Sherriff; 21. Ben Willis; 22. Andy Dunne

Bath (Possible) 15. Matt Perry; 14. Wylie Human; 13. Robbie Fleck; 12. Ollie Barkley; 11. Simon Danielli; 10. Mike Catt; 9. Martyn Wood; 1.David Flatman; 2. Jonathan Humphreys; 3.Alex Clarke; 4. Danny Grewcock (Capt.); 5. Steve Borthwick; 6. Andy Beattie; 7. Michael Lipman; 8. Isaac Feaunati

Replacements: 16. Lee Mears; 17.David Barnes; 18. Rob Fidler; 19. James Scaysbrook; 20. Henti Martens; 21. Chris Malone; 22. Kevin Maggs