The Time for Complacency is Over

By Boonie
November 27 2006

Yes, they are the current champions. Yes, they have had injury problems aplenty, and cannot call on their first choice team. But there the similarity ends.

England are the current World champions. Hamstrung by injuries to a wide range of players who, if fit, would be in the first choice side by right, they are playing a desperate game of catch up against a scratch side from South Africa, who are missing even more of their first choice players. And yet, they managed, like an Argentinian side who had only met up the same week, to beat the current champions whilst they are down.
Humiliating.

Sale are the current GP champions. Hamstrung by injuries to a wide range of players who, if fit, would be in the first choice side by right, they were playing a desperate game of "hunt the fit player". Nervous, out of sorts, they still managed to beat Quins despite playing very badly.
Humiliating.

It has been said, and rightly so, that at the beginning of the season, we'd have taken a losing bonus point from Sale. But this was not Sale, this was a shadow of the Sale side that won the GP last year, and they were there for the taking.

Much has been made of England losing their way, lacking the killer instinct, losing the ability to string phases of play together, failing to close out games that could be and should be won. At Harlequins, in comparison, a run of five games unbeaten has lifted both the spirits and the expectation of the fans. Suddenly, somehow, we are back at the beginning of the season - high hopes dashed and post mortem knives being sharpened.

One of the joys of Rugby is that even the bottom placed team can beat the top placed team on a good day, and it is that unexpectedness that makes it interesting. However, this was not the Sale first team, and after the performance at home, we had every right to expect something better from a Quins team that had finally strung together a decent run of results.

The time for complacency is over. Worcester have broken their losing streak, beating a team comfortably ahead of us in the league. Away from home as well. Bath, second bottom last week, also remembered how to win. Falcons, although beaten, claimed a bonus point. Irish have remembered their form from last season, clobbering Saints. We drop a leage position, but now only two points separate 8th from 11th, and the gap to 12th has narrowed. Two more weekends like this one, and things could be looking much, much bleaker.

The team has been settled for the past few weeks, and was playing together much more comfortably. There are some established stars, and some undoubted stars of the future. The time has come for the team to find that edge, that killer instinct, that moment of flair and magic, that will re-ignite the passion and drive Quins out of the basement of the GP table. We are not safe, no matter that we are 8th at the moment. If Worcester's sacking of their head coach proves to be inspired, then none of the bottom 6 are safe.

Worcester's lead must be followed by England in order to shake up the status quo, and get some grit and steel into our International side in time for us to avoid humiliation in the forthcoming year. Harlequins also need to find that same grit and steel, to keep their nerve, and maintain the gap between a safe league position and the trapdoor that lurks below. Nothing else will do this season.