Down to Business - Harlequins Double Header

Hairyqueens
By BrianC
August 30 2006

The various social events, the sevens tournaments and the pre-season friendlies are all now consigned to memory. This Saturday we get down to business as the season proper starts. We open proceedings with a ‘home’ game at the London Double Header (LDH) against our old rivals Harlequins.

Quins were relegated by the narrowest of margins in 04/05. They won ND1 last season at a canter, losing only one game the whole season. I must say that I missed having Quins in the Premiership last year; there is always an extra ‘something ‘ to our games with them.

There long rivalry between ourselves and Quins has no doubt this has a lot to do with the fact that we were for many years, whilst based at Sunbury, the local rivals. That said, the rivalry does run deeper than that.

Very long standing supporters still recall the days of merit tables where, alone amongst the top clubs, Quins decided we were not playing to a high enough standard to merit a place on their fixture list. Those of us who go back to the time of our ground share with them at The Stoop in 99/00 can still recall the trauma as our, initially two year tenancy, was terminated early after press coverage compared the Quins match day experience unfavourably with ours.

As with any newly promoted side, this Quins team are something of an unknown quantity. Dean Richards, the former Leicester Director of Rugby, is now at the helm. True to form he hasn’t been backward in coming forward. In a recent BBC interview he aspired to “be competitive right at the top." Established Quins supporters and most outside observers are more sanguine and would appear to be happy with a mid table position. Unusually for a newly promoted side Quins are not one of favourites for the drop. That honour is Bristols.

With eleven new recruits including England center Stuart Abbott Quins are bound to be competitive. One area of concern, for both sides as it happens but probably more so Quins than us, is weakness in the front row. I feel we’ll edge this up front.

Where, on paper, we appear to be a much classier outfit is in the backs. Particularly our back three, whichever combination of them is chosen to start. With the possible exception of Gloucester they are the most exciting combination the Premiership has seen in a long time. The trouble is that such paper has time and again been torn to shreds.

Whilst I still prefer the Madejski to Twickenham, there is after all no place like home, the LDH is a great way to start the season. Thus far we have a 100% record at the LDH. With a fair wind we’ll still have that come Saturday evening.