By Worried of Whitton
April 7 2006

This weekend NEC Harlequins return to Twickenham Stadium to meet Bedford Blues in the final of The Powergen Trophy. Kick off is on Sunday April 9th at 12.30pm. The match is second of four matches at Twickenham on Sunday and is scheduled as the curtain raiser to the Wasps v Llanelli Scarlets match.

The match sponsors could not have asked for a more exiting line up as the newly crowned National Division One Champions meet Division One runners up, elect. The Powergen National Trophy is a new competition this season which effectively replaces the old Powergen Challenge Shield.

With April barely a week old it has already been a month  to remember for Quins supporters, players management and staff alike, with the Division One Championship  won on Saturday, winning the  Southern “A” league on Monday followed by the news that the vast majority of the squad remain for next season back in the Premiership. The wonder week continues at Twickenham on Sunday. Although we knew a win against Sedgley Park last weekend would give Quins a mathematical chance of taking the championship, as the afternoon wore on the news from Exeter suggested that the champagne would remain on ice for a couple more weeks, despite Quins emphatic win over Sedgley Park. However, indiscipline late in their match by Bedford’s second string side allowed Exeter to pull ahead, courtesy of two penalty tries against a 14 man opposition. When the result was relayed to the Stoop at 4.45 it was to say that Bedford had lost 26-23, and the only team to beat Harlequins this season had enabled Quins to lift the title. Ironically it was Exeter who Bedford beat 37-35 in a very close fought in the Powergen semi final, the winning points coming from the last kick of the game.

I regret to say it BUT it must be remembered that Harlequins recent record at Twickenham has not been good, loosing on their last three visits in a varied selection of matches, against Munster in a Heineken Cup pool match, London Irish in the inaugural London Double Header and that Tetley Cup Final against Newcastle. Quins record at Twickenham is Played 6 won 2, lost 4. The two wins were in the John Player Cup final in 1988 when they beat Bristol 28-22, and then in the Pilkington Cup final against Northampton back in 1991. This is a fact that will not have been lost on Bedford, who are the current Powergen Shield holders after beating Plymouth Albion at Twickenham last year. It has been reported that “Twickenham Fever” has struck Bedford for the second year running and a reported 28 coaches have been organised by the club to travel down the M1. Some 5000 tickets have been sold by Bedford. However, with their record this season, Harlequins have to start the final as favourites. The two sides last meet in the Championship at Goldington Road in December when Harlequins won by just six points 26-20 in a hard fought game. Bedford chairman Geoff Irvine said of that match "We were perhaps a little bit over-awed by them at the start of the game, but in the second half I thought that we were probably the better side," This time the two sides will meet on a level playing field. They also will meet again in just two weeks time on April 22^nd in the penultimate ND1 game at The Stoop.

Bedford have suffered some bleak times over the past five years, but since Geoff Irvine took the helm he has steered Bedford out of their financial problems, overcame relegation and an attempt to re locate the club. He has built a very successful team how have powered their way in to second place in ND1. Like Harlequins their supporters have stayed loyal and there is a very positive atmosphere at the club. Irvine however, knows their limits, and despite their lofty position in the ND1 Irvine believes that they are not yet right for the Premiership, based on the limitations of their ground, rather than the status of their squad. Bedford firmly stated last autumn that they were not seeking promotion this year. Bedford coach and former Welsh and Bedford fullback, Mike Rayer took over from his predecessor Rudi Straeli at the start of the season and has continued the clubs success, despite serious problems with injuries this year. Indeed resting some of his first team players last weekend helped Quins win their title.

Director of rugby Mike Rayer took the bold decision of naming his squad for Sunday's match at a press conference on Tuesday. He said: "It's pretty much the team that has done us proud over the last four to six weeks and hopefully it will be good enough to bring the trophy back to Goldington Road." He added "Without question this group of players have got a tenacity about them that means they will dig deep. In any game you need a little bit of luck, but you earn that luck.” The Bedford squad include five players in their side who won the Heineken Cup with Northampton at Twickenham in 2000.

In contrast to this time last year newly promoted Harlequins are riding on a high at the moment. Earlier this week Captain Andre Vos said “We know from our last meeting with Bedford that they're a very good side and we're expecting a tough game - we'll have to be at our best. But we're very excited with the way everything has gone this season. As a squad, we've moved on a lot and learned a lot from Dean Richards and Andy Friend. We know we've got a very exciting year ahead with Hal Luscombe and Stuart Abbott joining us and a few more to come, so we should have a very good squad together”. Vos continued”We're building something special and I'm looking forward to being a continued part of that. It's been an enjoyable season in contrast to last April, which was not enjoyable at all. You can't imagine a worse feeling and the harsh reality hits home when you go into the club and there are desks being cleared. Our supporters have been fantastic and stuck with us, the sponsors have been very loyal too and now we're back and hoping for a successful future”.

In reaching the final, Harlequins have recorded victories away at Sedgley Park, Bridgewater and Nottingham in the semi final, and just one home match the quarter final against Plymouth Albion. Sunday will see Will Greenwood run out at HQ for the last time, and a Twickenham final is a fitting climax to a great servant of the game at both club and country level. I certainly hope that it will be Will   who leads the team out. At the time of publication Harlequins had not been announced their team, and it is not known whether another Quins retiring stalwart Tony Diprose will feature in the squad of 22,ironically in 2004,Jason Leonard and Bill Davison both bowed out with cup winners medals. If he doesn’t feature this week, I m sure Tony will feature in the “A” league finals later in the month.

Coach Dean Richards has another headache this week in picking his team, with no major injury worries. It is expected the team will be announced on Friday, with the big question who will start at fly half, Adrian Jarvis or Andrew Mehrtens?

Bedford and Harlequins have met on seven previous occasions in league and cup a games with the Bedford Blues being successful just once: 35-33 in the Premiership in October 1998, with a last gasp converted try. In cup competitions the two clubs have met just once, in the 3rd round of the Pilkington Cup in November 1991 when Harlequins Road won 33-3 at Bedford. Until their last meeting in National One at Goldington Road back in December (which Quins won 26-20) the two teams had not met since the 1999/2000 season.  

We are all looking forward to our day at HQ. As with many matches this season this match will be just as tough and hard fought, and playing Bedford adds some additional spice. I expect to see a close game with Quins overcoming their opposition by between 7 and 10 points and collecting their second piece of silverware in a week, and “doing the double.”

 

Come on you Quins!

 

NEC Harlequins:  team to be announced

 

Bedford Blues: Mike Rayer has announced his team earlier this week and therefore may be subject to change:
15 James Hinkins,14 Craig Moir ,13 Liam Roberts, 12 Matt Allen, 11 Mike Staten, 10 Ali Hepher, 9 Dom Malone, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha, 2 Chris Johnson, 3 John Brooks, 4 Jon Phillips, 5 Arthur Brenton,6 Adam Kettle, 7 Chris Rainbow, 8 Shaun Brady
Replacements:16 Matt Price, 17 James Graham, 18 Marc Comb,19 Sacha Harding, 20 Karl Dickson, 21 Tom Luke, 22 Kieran Hallett

Match Officials:
Referee:   Tim Wigglesworth   
Touch judges:  Kevin Stewart and Paul Dickens