By The Prof
January 23 2003

Last week there was little to report on (the report on the Amateurs’ loss took some time to arrive and probably wouldn’t have appeared in this positive column anyway). This week is pretty similar except there are positives to come from the Amateurs. The firsts didn’t play because we are no longer in the Parker Pen competition, the seconds’ game against Newport was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, the U21s and U19s weren’t playing and the Ladies’ game was called off too so that means the only Quins match to take place in the last week was the Amateurs’ match against Northolt.

The Amateurs won and won well (49 – 8), they absorbed early pressure before the forwards took the upper hand and the scores started to come. They went in 20-3 up at half time and bettered that performance in the second half scoring a further 29 points with only an unconverted try for the opposition.

Those of you who haven’t been able to secure a ticket for the cup game against Leicester might want to go to support the Ams in their match against London French, which will be played at the Brunel University campus site (KO 2.15). Apparently it should be an ‘interesting’ and ‘hard fought’ game!

The first team game this Saturday promises to be another special cup game for Quins, can we do the unthinkable and knock Leicester out of the Cup for the third year running? The answer must be yes, we have already knocked Leeds out of the Cup and they are third in the league and Leicester are below them so we should be able to do it.

Leicester will definitely be up for it (then again they were last year too), just imagine the look on Deano’s face if they are knocked out of the cup by us again.

Train ticket to Twickenham £5.90
Match ticket £20
Solids before the game £5
Drinks before the game £20
Seeing the look on Deano’s face when we win – Priceless

The two week rest should have allowed niggling injuries to be rested and for players to have recovered from injury. Vos’ shoulder and Dippy’s leg injury should have recovered so we should see them playing at their very best this weekend (although they have been playing through their injuries rather well so far). We have had a few disappointments on the injury front though, we’ll be without Starr, Duncombe, Bell, Greenstock, Wood, Winters, Sanderson, Gomez and Slemen (64 caps worth in total). Well it was looking like Evs et al. were getting close to being able to select from a pretty full squad but the injury list is increasing again, and when you have just had a couple of weeks with no rugby and the injury list has grown you have to wonder what interesting conversations the Management had with Pooky and Cameron when they received the news! At least Cameron’s page should be back in the programme this week after it’s absence in the Bristol match programme – if you have never read it before do so – it is always very funny and ‘interesting’ to say the least!

Another positive is that we have sold out again, I am not sure how often it has happened this season but it must be more than any recent season, this not only shows how much better the team are playing this term but also what great work the Office staff are doing in promoting Quins.

Finally congratulations must go to the five players who have been selected for the England training squads – Jase (when will he get his 100th England cap?), Greenwood and Luger are all in the squad for the Six Nations and Ugo Monye and Gollings are in the sevens squad to go to Brisbane, although losing Frodo when we have a vital game against Newcastle that weekend is disappointing. Duncombe and Codling must be disappointed that they didn’t get into the side but at least there will be less chance of them getting injuries during the next couple of months.