By T
December 21 2006

Given our appalling performances at the stoop over the past few years and the fact that even Father Christmas couldn’t offer as many presents as we have in recent games against Quins, I take my hat off to those wise men (and women) who make the journey following the star (and moon) to the Stoop. It is however at this time of year we should give a thought to those that we have lost on the epic journey…. spare a thought for the poor souls who have given into temptation and will be in pubs across the South East. They’ve probably been on the booze since the email came around from the MD telling everyone they can go home at midday but his credit card will be behind the bar at the ‘coach and horses’ for a couple of hours. Those not falling into temptation will be lost in the rush to get out of the capital for the Christmas weekend. The M25 will be snarled up as the queues for Heathrow stretch back somewhere near the Herts / Essex border (fog permitting), and you can guarantee the trains will be all over the shop… so what better time to arrange a round of Guinness Premiership games including Quins Vs Sarries!

As a young lad watching Saracens at Bramley Road I used to hate Quins, the snobbish attitude, the fact that they regularly refused to play Saracens in the amateur era, but were quite happy to pinch all our players. As I grew up I realized they weren’t to be hated they should be pitied, what man after all should ever have to play rugby wearing ‘chocolate brown’ and ‘magenta’ (yes it suited old bum chin when he turned up) the crowd chanting “come on you queens” started to make more sense…

Since the dawn of professionalism this loathing has passed from mild indifference to general apathy. I now see Paul (H)Ackford’s snide remarks about Saracens as little more than the ramblings of an old man out of touch with the real world rather than a former Quin who never liked having to play on a public park in Southgate. I now have a respect for the club and supporters coming back galvanized from their year on loan to the lower division. The way they conducted themselves in the Div 1 was a credit to the club and their support…

However! One thing still bemuses me about Quins. How can a bunch of blazer wearing, Chelsea Tractor driving, Winter Pimms drinking ‘City boys’ have a supporters known as the ‘Diamond Geezers’?! … Jason Leonard was the only thing resembling a ‘Geezer’ to ever be associated with Quins and everybody knows he was a Saracen. Wearing a ridiculous pair of trousers with your expensive multi-coloured replica shirts at best makes you look a bit like a juggler at a festival and at worst a little bit care in the community. All the other supporters know you as poor mans fez boys, and in case any ‘Diamond Geezers’ are reading and struggling with the understanding of ‘poor’; I mean a man who drives a ford and doesn’t buy organic from Waitrose.

The last two meetings in 2004 that probably sum up why as a Sarries supporter a trip to the Stoop at Christmas is about as appealing as Turkey Sandwiches on the 27th, Turkey Curry on the 28th, Turkey Pasta on the 29th …It’s enough to make you question is if the fixtures computer has decided that out of ‘naughty or nice’ Sarries had defiantly been really naughty.

In recent seasons we’ve been awful at the Stoop, truly truly awful; we last got a result there in December 2000. But our visit in 2004 was like witnessing a car crash. We’d delivered a gift wrapped bonus point in under 10 minutes and conceded the one of the quickest tries in history. We later found out that Glen had chicken pox, but that was no excuse for THAT pass in the 15th second of the game. Quins eventually took their foot off the gas and ran out 40-10 winners in their biggest win of a disappointing season. Most people are probably still trying to forget the return game - Boxing Day 2004. The players made sure the Christmas tradition of a nap on Boxing Day afternoon was stuck to as 10,000+ people fell asleep afternoon in front of the dullest game of rugby ever seen, played in sub zero conditions, no one cared the game was drawn 8-8. Even Jeremy Staunton’s last minute dropped goal failed to convince anybody that they shouldn’t have fallen asleep in front of the James Bond film on the sofa instead.

So enough of Christmas Past. What of Christmas Future? Aside from the blip against Worcester, Sarries are showing a decent bit of form this year and need to push on against the teams below them in the table. Having won twice in the European cup against Italian opposition we should at least know where the try line is, while Quins have been on the receiving end of two close defeats to Bath in the same competition.

Current form is no indication of the result but like that TVR you half jokingly ask for every year for Christmas but never get, this year could be different - no you still won’t get the TVR - but say it quietly this could be the year that Sarries might, just might get a win at the stoop… Given how 2004 still clearly hurts so much, I’m going to do my best to ignore the Rugby on Friday and go to sleep early (more of a passing out) in the hope that when I wake up I’ll have an early Christmas present to look forward to - lets hope it’s the metaphorical TVR rather than the soap on a rope.

All that left to say is a very Merry Christmas to everyone even the strange ones that look a bit like Jugglers!

Teams to follow.