By KevT
September 19 2003

NEC Harlequins take on Rotherham Titans at Millmoor on Saturday 20th September (kick off 2.45pm). The match will be covered live on Sky Sports. Rotherham lost their first match of the season away at Gloucester last week by 22 – 8 whilst Quins defeated reigning champions Wasps 33 – 27. Quins make three changes to the team that beat Wasps. Gavin Duffy replaces Andy Dunne at Full Back. George Harder moves from outside centre to wing and replaces Simon Keogh. Mel Deane takes over from George Harder at outside centre. Tani Fuga starts on the benchfor the second week running as he has only had 60 minutes of game time since his injury. James Hayter and Josh Taumalolo are still recovering from injuries and should be available for selection next week. A decision on a final place on the bench between Roy Winters and Luke Sherriff will be made nearer the start of the game.

Quins’ win against Wasps gave the team and their supporters a real boost. The key to the win was a hugely impressive defence, awesome back row performance and excellent finishing. What really got the crowd going was the way the backs ran at Wasps with such confidence. Credit must go to Paul Turner who seems to have instilled confidence and belief in what is an almost completely new set of backs. Quins will face a very stiff test this week when they will be asked to transfer that home confidence and belief in a tough away trip to Millmoor.

I asked Quins’ second row Bill Davison if he enjoyed last weekend’s win against Wasps. “I’ve been around long enough to understand the rivalry between Quins and Wasps, so yes, it was very enjoyable.”

I said that confidence must be high in the team and especially with the forwards as there were few changes from last year. “I hope we understand how difficult it is to win away from home and as a squad we must approach Saturday’s match with that attitude. Truly successful sides are built over a number of years. We were relatively successful last year as a forward unit and we want to continue to build on that this year.”

Turning to Rotherham, I asked Bill if he was looking forward to playing against ex Quins’ second row Luke Gross and winger / centre Jason Keyter. “Luke is one of those athletic and strong Americans who love to train hard. So it will be difficult playing against him. Jason is a lovely guy who you’ve got to look out for. He is a very good broken play runner.”

I mentioned to Bill that Mark Evans had said that Saturday’s match was likely to be a tough physical encounter. “You can take that for granted. Quins have always had the tag that if you get into them you can beat them. We think we can handle a physical approach especially with the pack of forwards that we have.”

Rotherham gave a good account of themselves last week against Gloucester (albeit a Gloucester team who are a lot weaker than last year). Rotherham have a solid looking front row with Nick Lloyd at loose head, captain and ex Northampton player Chris Johnson is at hooker and former Welsh ‘A’ international Colin Noon at tight head. In the second row, 6’ 8” Chris Cook has been replaced by the more mobile New Zealander Glen Kenworthy who has been at the club for four years and has also represented Otago and Hawkes Bay. Quins’ supporters may remember Luke Gross playing for the club between 1996 and 1998 after which he moved to Italy. Luke Gross will be off to join the US squad for the World Cup and at 6’ 9”, he must be one of the tallest second rows in the League. In the back row, former Wales and Pontypridd Flanker and Number Eight Geraint Lewis plays. Geraint is joined in the back row by former Bath flanker Russell Earnshaw and Zimbabwean Leon Griff.

Much of Rotherham’s play is dictated by Fijiian scrum half Jacob Rauluni. He joined Rotherham last year from Queensland Reds, has 42 Fiji caps and is a real threat at scrum half. There has been much comment in the press that the Fiji team are unhappy that Rotherham have not allowed him to go to the World Cup. At Fly Half, Jason Strange is a new addition from Newport (one of six players that Rotherham have signed from Wales in the close season). Rotherham signed two excellent centres in the close season in England tourist Joe Ewens (from Gloucester) and free scoring Australian international Peter Jorgensen (from Northampton). Jorgensen scored five tries for Northampton last season in eleven appearances. Mel Deane and Andy Reay’s defence will have to be at its best against these two.

On the left wing Michael Wood is in his fourth season with Rotherham and Anthony Elliott has joined this season from Sale Sharks. Jon Benson, who can also play Fly Half comes in at Full Back. I hope we see former Quins’ centre / wing Jason Keyter at some stage. Jason was an excellent player for the club and a real enthusiast for the club. I for one, was sorry to see him go. Jason is also likely to join the United States team for the World Cup.

By all accounts Rotherham’s match against Gloucester was a pretty turgid affair. Rotherham’s line out suffered against Gloucester’s new recruit, Alex Brown and Head Coach Mike Schmidt has tried to change things around by moving Gross to the front of the line out and bringing in Glen Kenworthy. The front five will perhaps be a little more mobile with Noon at tight head and Kenworthy at lock. The addition of former England Sevens’ player Russell Earnshaw will also help Rotherham against the formidable Quins’ back row.

Speaking on the Titans’ website, Chief Executive Jim Kilfoyle said: “After last week’s performance at Gloucester the playing squad were disappointed that they allowed the opportunity of taking at least one point home with them slip by. It was simple lapses of concentration that allowed the all important Marcel Garvey break to lead to a try. This week’s training has been geared to rectifying the errors of last weekend highlighted by Mike Schmidt on Monday but shared by many of the players. Their self analysis was excellent.”

“The positives to be taken out of the game were that the defence was able to handle most of what the leading try scorers of last year threw at us, that the success of the driving maul quietened the infamous Shed and the determination not to concede a second try showed immense character and resilience.”

“Quins will produce a different threat and after their excellent win against Wasps, confidence will be high. They achieved it by being willing to strike from anywhere and release their dangerous runners even from their own try line. Their strength lay in the back row, a talented stand off in Paul Burke and the pace of Ugo Monye and the like. But at the same time it will be difficult for them to come to Millmoor and they’ll have to show that they have put their troubles on the road firmly behind them. This game is immensely significant for Rotherham Titans, your home form is crucial to survival and your first home match can influence the mood in any camp. Leeds and Newcastle lost at home last Sunday and we are determined that this is not going to be the start of our home season in the Zurich Premiership.”

Rotherham have an effective defence which limited Gloucester to one try last week. They have a good half back pairing in Rauluni and Strange and an exciting centre pairing in Jorgensen and Ewens. They will be playing their first home match in the Premiership for quite some time in front of a Sky audience. There is no doubt that they will be motivated. Quins’ will have an advantage in a much more mobile pack and a very fast back three. I’m looking forward to seeing Andy Reay – who really took his first team opportunity well last week - and the irrepressible Mel Deane play together. Let’s not forget that Quins did not play all that well last week. Due to injury, there were some holes in the midfield, a very strong Wasps front five starved Quins of possession and that meant the ball that Ben Willis received was poor quality. The key to Quins’ win was Paul Burke who played with so much confidence last week. He had a marvellous game. It is his ability to release the Quins’ backs that may be the key to a lot of the matches this season.

This match will be very tight from the start. Quins are likely to have to weather a very committed first twenty to thirty minutes from Rotherham. Their defence will have to be as resolute as last week. Expect to see Rotherham try to play a tight game with the ball staying with their forwards or being run through their centres. The Quins’ back row’s ability to turnover Titans’ possession will be a big factor in halting this plan. In the end, I think the mobility of the Quins’ pack and the speed and strength of the Quins’ back three will see them home by more than a converted score.


Rotherham: 15 Jon Benson; 14 Anthony Elliot; 13 Joe Ewens; 12 Peter Jorgensen; 11 Michael Wood; 10 Jason Strange; 9 Jacob Rauluni; 1 Nick Lloyd; 2 Chris Johnson (Captain); 3 Colin Noon; 4 Luke Gross; 5 Glen Kenworthy;; 6 Leon Greeff; 7 Russell Earnshaw; 8 Geraint Lewis

Replacements; 16 Peter Smyth; 17 Chris Loader; 18 Dan Cook; 19 C Short; 20 James Cockle; 21 Charlie Harrison
22 Jason Keyter

NEC Harlequins: 15 Gavin Duffy; 14 George Harder; 13 Mel Deane; 12 Andy Reay; 11 Ugo Monye; 10 Paul Burke
9 Ben Willis; 1 Mike Worsley; 2 Ace Tiatia; 3 Jon Dawson; 4 Bill Davison; 5 Simon Miall; 6 Pat Sanderson; 7 Andre Vos (Capt); 8 Tony Diprose

Replacements: 16 Tani Fuga; 17 Ceri Jones; 18 Laurent Gomez; 19 Jim Evans; 20 Roy Winters/Luke Sherriff
21 Simon Keogh; 22 Andy Dunne