Preview: Sale vs Harlequins

So our mini end of season cup run has begun in earnest. The initial sally forth has accounted for London Irish, soundly beaten at the Stoop in what should have been an extra point victory as Quins rushed around at the end after wising up in the second half.

 Quarters fans were in for similar treatment as Quins once again started slowly against an understrength Stade Francais side. To this travel embargoed armchair viewer, thanks Mrs Wyddy, it looked like the boys may have looked at the team sheet and thought the game in the bag before kick-off. Stade came out strong in the first half and Quins had to provide their credentials continuously against a committed French side, which they did through being a lot cuter in the second half, eventually finishing strongly and progressing to a semi final away at Franklins Garden. 

So, a third of the job done. Just 4 more games to win. Next up a resurgent Sale side who have efficiently leapfrogged Quins and sit above us in 5th spot, just 4 points behind Bath. Steve Diamond has done a tremendous job in turning last seasons whipping boys into steady and sometimes surprising competitors in the Premier League this year. 

Sharks have become a much more cohesive and savvy side this season, adding only a few players to the mix, they have developed a very effective smothering style and whilst Cipriani is not the most reliable goal kicker his game management has come on and he seems to want to be a part of their team now. Up front sees probably Sale’s most improved player this season, Vadim Cobîlaş. Early in the season the Moldovan didn’t start particularly well but in the last half of this season he has been simply monstrous at scrum time totally outshining Bath bound, Henry Thomas. Destructive in the tight he also shows up in the hard yards and defensively is no slouch either, the contest between him and the equally improved, Joe Marler, promises to be one of the key match ups this Friday. As Diamond rested a lot of his troops for their quarter final defeat to Saints, expect to see Eiffion Lewis-Roberts return on the other side of the scrum and Marc Jones to return at hooker. 

The Russian duo that played against Saints will likely be broken up by Jonathan Mills coming in at lock and an outside chance of seeing Michael Paterson also take his place in the engine room after a good showing in the home game against Saints in the Premiership. Sale fans will be crossing everything that captain, Daniel Braid, is fit to take his place in the starting line up. His form has continued from where it was last term and he is a real harrier for Diamonds men, one of the most impressive back rowers in the Premiership and pushing hard on the heels of luminaries like Jacques Burger. David Seymour is another who has had an improved season and will need watching by Quins back row, former captain, James Gaskell continues a rich vein of form and will shore up the back of the pack. 

Another whose fitness Sale will be sweating on is Dwayne Peel, they will look to his experience to keep an eye on Quins livewire No9. Shy, retiring violet, avid bus tackler and famous Nesquik fan, Danny Cipriani, will don the No10 shirt again in what has been another season of consolidation and improving prospects. If he performs well in their last 4 games there is every chance he will get into the England squad ahead of Freddie Burns, who has had an abysmal season. In the centres Sale will have the all Southern Hemisphere duo, comprising the imposing figures of Sam Tuitupou and Johnny Leota. With veteran OAP Mark Cueto out injured, look for Tom Brady to continue on one flank with London Wasps bound fullback, Rob Miller popping up on the other wing. Ex London Welsh flyer, Luke Arscott, a well known player at Quins after a couple of flare ups last season and earlier this season in Sale colours, will take the 15 shirt. 

For Quins the same old problems with injury continue, Trayfoot, Clifford, Casson join the long term injured list. However there is some light in sight, Ross Chisholm should return to the matchday 23 this week, which would sadly mean Slackey dropping out. Also in contact training is our lightning winger from earlier in the season, Charlie Walker, however this Friday may come too early. 

Up front in the tight 5, Joe Gray and Will Collier remain on the treatment tables. Which on a positive note gives another games experience to an improving front 3 of Marler, Ward and Sinckler. Sinckler has impressed many with his appearances this season and with a little more nous will be able to compete better against the wilier props of the league. He will need to be on his mettle against experienced campaigner Lewis-Roberts. In the engine room Lord Voldemort... I mean George Robson, will continue. However the choice of his backrow partner has become clouded. Kennedy has not pulled up many trees since finally coming back off injury (and has also picked up a minor knock) and young bucks Matthews and Merrick have every opportunity to push for the shirt. Interesting to see who Conor picks here. 

In the back row, the pretty settled unit of Wallace, Robshaw and Easter will start barring Conor wanting to go with Guesty for a bit more ballast instead of Wallace. Easter had his best match for some while against Stade Francais with a welcome return to form as we saw signature bullocking runs and tidy offloads, let’s hope he can continue for Sale. Robshaw again does so much of the unglamourous stuff for Quins, acting as the pivot on numerous occasions and always available to truck it up and gain a yard or two, against Stade he made more ground than normal surprisingly though there were a couple of knock ons. Wallace is becoming something of a bone of contention between Quins supporters, the tactic of him loitering on the wing when we have the ball has become well known and its various merits and liabilities now the stuff of knowledgeable debate on this particular website. For my tuppence, I see the merits of it however I maintain that the sort of player Wallace is (let’s not forget he has out jackalled Burger before), we lose more than we gain him being there. I’d rather our No7 is at the breakdown making a nuisance of himself securing ball. This debate will run and run... 

Quins have been blessed, and dear lord let me not put the mockers on it, of having a more or less a stable 1st choice half back pairing (DC’s England sojourn apart), NEv has had a couple of games out with injury but on the whole Care and Evans have had more games together this season. Their understanding is key, and whilst Evans remains a superb 10, I always feel he plays more freely with Care on the park taking a little bit of the weight off his shoulders. This season has also seen the return of ‘Line breaking NEv’ popping up with crucial tries in more games than last year. Care’s form needs no embellishment, he has secured the England No9 jersey on the back of some terrific sustained form for Quins, yet he didn’t have his finest game against Stade, intriguing to see how he comes back against Sale. 

Whilst the half backs have been stable the centre partnerships have been anything but, injury has blighted this area of the Quins team. With Lowe out for most of the season, Hopper potentially still carrying an injury that kept him out of the Amlin tie, we could be in for more Bosh & Bosh with Turner-Hall and Molenaar. Unfortunately for Turner-Hall he just hasn’t exhibited any of the early promise that he showed in his career this season, his post-injury performances hampered by either knocking on in contact or being stripped. Molenaar had a terrific start to his Quins career, scoring against Leicester, since then it’s been a bit stop/start for Molly, but he was amongst the players who performed better in the 2nd half last week capping the upturn with a smartly taken try. 

The back 3 have been in similar flux for Quins, either through the absence of Man of the Century (TM), Mike Brown on international duty, or through injury to a plethora of wingers, Chisholm, Walker, Monye, Williams. However as said before we should be seeing a welcome return to Ross Chisholm on the bench and expect to see try machine Sam Smith continue on the wing with Ollie Lindsay-Hague filling in on the other flank. Smith has been in a real purple patch and continues to demonstrate that Quins may well miss him and his honest endeavour with him off to Worcester, time will tell. Skippy on the other hand has performed ably at fullback in the absence of Browny and has made a good contribution from the wing channels. 

This game will be won or lost on how well Quins manage the spoiling tactics of Diamonds Geezers (doff of cap to older generation), quick ball to enable Quins to stretch the line will be vital, if Sharks slow the ball and get the opportunity to pin us back in the corners the Quins defence will be put under serious pressure particularly if parity is not gained at scrum time. In situations like that we have seen Quins try to play more expansively, a la Wembley, the right to play the width has to be earned first. That being said even though we traditionally find it a tough place to travel, I fancy Quins for the 4pts. 

Quins by 7pts!!! 

COYQ!!!!!!