Preview: NEC Harlequins v Bath Rugby ECC (h)

By Worried of Whitton
December 8 2006

NEC Harlequins return to European Challenge cup action this week in the first of a double header against Bath Rugby. Kick off at The Stoop is at 3.00pm on Saturday December 9th.

Both Harlequins and Bath have, so far a 100% winning record in this competition and it is expected that the results from these two legs will determine who will finish top of Pool 4 and head toward the finals. Quins top the table due to their bonus point home win over Montpellier. It is possible that the runner up could also qualify for the final eight if they have sufficient points.

The Pool 4 table from ERC looks like this;

 

It was their first match in this competition against Connacht back in October that brought Quins their first win, and they went on to beat Montpellier, followed by three crucial premiership matches to revive their fortunes. In recent weeks, from an outsider’s point of view it looks as if Quins have gone off he boil, after defeat away at Sale and Newcastle. It is true Quins put in a very poor first half performance against a particular low strength Sale side, but they fought back to take away an important losing bonus point. The game against Newcastle was lost by 21-18 in what was a “dead rubber” for Quins, but it gave the chance to rest a number of key players who had brought those five straight wins, and it enabled Mehrtens, Skinner So’oialo, Hayter and the anonymous Mr. Abbot to have important match practice after recovering from their respective injuries. All in all Quins will face Bath, as a rested and prepared team to carry the fortunes of the club into the quarter finals of this competition. Despite his return to fist team rugby there has been very few reports of how Abbot played and his name was omitted in most if the national papers.

Like Harlequins, Bath are having an indifferent season to date, and looking at the results of both teams this season there is very little to choose between then. Both failed to progress from their groups the EDF Anglo Welsh Cup. In the Premiership the two clubs are in eight and ninth places both on 16 points from three wins and six defeats. By nature of their superior points difference (-14) Quins sit above Bath (-62). Whilst in this competition both clubs have two wins so far.  The differentiator appears to be on points difference, league and European Cup and the fact the Bath have only won once away from home this season in a close scoring match in Montpellier. In both of their ECC matches Bath have won by a relatively small margin, although not as small as the Quins win over Connacht.

This competition provides a very good opportunity for silverware this season, and after Mondays performance in the “A” league may well be their only opportunity!  This weekend marks the start of another crucial period for Harlequins as they prepare to play five league and European cup games in the next 24 days. With many players rested last week and the boost to the squad with the retuning players from injury, Dean Richards has a close to full strength squad to choose his first XV, and the confidence is there despite the slip ups at the two recent away games up North.

As this preview was written both clubs have yet to announce their teams.

Richards said earlier this week, “Everybody has been working hard on our style of play and the development of players. We came close to a number of victories and played a good brand of Rugby in the first part of the season, but didn’t come off the filed with a win. Now I believe we have the confidence to take those teams head on. We believe in what we have here and in the style we play.”

This match is also the first of four games the two clubs play between now and January 27^th. Despite their similar form this season, the home side are expected to win this encounter by virtue of Bath’s poor away form this season. With their home advantage at The Stoop, Quins should have increased their hold at the top of Pool 4 by five o’clock on Saturday afternoon.

 

  

Come on You Quins!

NEC Harlequins:  15. Tom Williams, 14. David Strettle, 13. Hal Luscombe, 12. Stuart Abbott, 11. Ugo Monye, 10. Adrian Jarvis, 9. Danny Care, 1. Ceri Jones, 2. Tani Fuga, 3. Lorne Ward, 4. Jim Evans, 5. Nicolas Spanghero, 6. Tom Guest, 7. Paul Volley (Capt.), 8. Nick Easter
Replacements: 16. Jimmy Richards, 17. Ricky Nebbett, 18. Ollie Kohn, 19. Will Skinner, 20. Steve So'oialo, 21. Andrew Mehrtens, 22. Gavin Duffy

Referee: Eric Darriere (France)