By Cherry Picker
September 17 2011
Bryan Redpath described it as embarrassing, and of course we have to remember that when the coach is being interviewed after a match he has to temeper his language and remember that too much public criticism can do more harm than good.
However, you can bet your bottom dollar that Gloucester supporters who saw the team in “action” in their 42-6 defeat at Harlequins will have used much stronger language.
In the interests of keeping it clean and remember that even though it might not be suitable, some children could be reading this site, let’s for now make do with pathetic, awful, degrading and, of course ... embarrassing.
The World Cup and injuries meant Quins were without no less than 18 players who might have expected to be in the senior squad for this game, so there can be no excuses for the cherry and whites.
Two Freddie Burns penalties were all Glaws had to offer against a home onslaught as Quins improved on their impressive start to the season.
A combination of bad tackling, poor decision-making, naive use of the ball and what appeared to be a lack of heart allowed Quins to score five tries, four of them converted, and kick three penalties in a game which was just as one-sided as the score suggests.
Redpath told the BBC: “It was embarrassing. Our basics and discipline were poor. We didn't get enough control or set piece possession.
"The players need to look in the mirror and see what that performance was, because it was unacceptable.
"We didn't get a stranglehold on the game outside of the first 10 minutes."
Last season Glaws lost 53-15 at the Stoop, and this was just as bad against a side ravaged by injuries – two of the Quins tries were scored by academy flanker Luke Wallace, who was due to be playing well down the pyramid at Esher.
On this form, a few others out on the Stoop pitch wouldn’t have looked out of place at that level.
A lot of lost ground needs to be made up - not only in the Prem table, but with the fans too.