Relegation Roadmap: Round 19

By Quaking Quin
March 22 2007

Another game of two halves for Quins and an unexpected bonus point. Deano should have been happy but the gap starts to widen with the teams in the top half of the table and the chances of a Heineken place are slipping away.

ROUND 19 

Predicted Total Points after Gloucester: 47  (originally 40pts for 11^th place)
Predicted Finish Position after Gloucester: Still 8^th (although Deano didn’t originally think there would be anything from this fixture)

As the old cliché goes ‘We’d have settled for a point from this game at the start of the season’. Unfortunately, it’s now three defeats on the trot and a very promising league position could evaporate into a lack lustre end to the year. Our DOR’s mantra about performance being more important than results seems to have fallen on deaf ears up at Roehampton over the last three weeks – unless you count the first 40 minutes against Tigers, the first 40 minutes against Wasps and the last 40 minutes against Gloucester. There must be some communication difficulty somewhere along the line.

ME was banking on a place in the HC to pay the deposit on the new South Stand as well as the wages of three world-class front row players. But his lips are now sealed until he needs a few more ST sales.    

Ho hum – there’s always next year for a higher slot. However, what is absolutely certain is that anything other than a victory at home to the Oirish on April 7^th will put an end to the Heineken hopes and mean a poor end to the season with a lowly finish in the GP table.

Quins mathematically still need 4 more points for safety but in reality they have more chance of finishing in the top 4 than Wuzz and Saints both overhauling 41 points. The relegation battle is still riveting with the Warriors off the bottom of the table for the first time this season. The momentum is now with them and Saints have a very tricky end with 3 out of 4 games being away.

The comparison with the 2004-05 ZP table continues to be intriguing. Leeds had 30 points after 19 games (again only one more than Wuzz today). Saints postponed away game against Bristol is coming up but who could predict the outcome with Brizz also in freefall. 

The last day of the season on April 28^th is going to have some nail-biting moments for a good number of fans. We can only hope Quins still have something positive to play for – in 0405 they only took 2 points from the last three matches.

With little activity over the next few weeks down at the Stoop me thinks it’s time to stand on the old grassy bank down at Esher and give Matt Moore a little vocal support.

GP Sunday 11^th March 2007:

 

 

ZP Sunday 27^th March 2005:

(Figures in brackets give final league positions and points)

 

Just to remind everyone how close Deano’s original predictions were, the Roadmap for 06/07 started as: