Harlequins v Gloucester Match Preview

Paul Turner, ©KevT
By KevT
August 29 2002

The waiting is over After what has seemed like a very long summer, Quins kick off their Premier League season on Saturday at home to Gloucester (kick off 3.00pm).

All the excitement generated by the new signings and pre season games will culminate in the visit of the West Country boys, the team that finished third in the table last term and ended the season as Zurich Champions.

The opening match will see new Quins backs coach Paul Turner facing the team he left during the summer. Turner is confident that Quins can get the season off to a winning start.

“Quins are a talented squad of players. Gloucester ended last season very strongly and are obviously Championship contenders but Quins matched them in all areas when they met. Eighty per cent of the difference between Quins winning and losing those matches last season was confidence. Gloucester obviously tanked Newport home and away but I didn’t see anything in those games that worried me. I don’t think a lot has changed with their squad from last season. They haven’t played that well away from home.”

Turner identified the key areas in the match. “We will try to beat them where they are strong. The set pieces areas will be key. They will try to put pressure on our half backs from the set pieces.
Gloucester are offensive in the tackle, they turn over a lot of ball and 70% of their tries last season came from turnovers. If we can match them there then we can win, but we must ensure that we do not turn over ball to them”

The Quins side has an exciting look to it. Jason Leonard and Keith Wood are joined in the front row by new signing Laurent Gomez who arrived in the pre-season from Montferrand. New England cap Alex Codling plays with Bill Davison in the second row. Ace Tiatia will add a physical presence to the back row where Pat Sanderson plays open side and Tony Diprose is Number Eight.

Nick Duncombe was not considered at scrum half due to a foot injury and Matthew Powell plays. Paul Burke continues at Fly Half where he was one of last season’s highest points scorers. Will Greenwood and Chris Bell who have both played so well together in pre-season matches start at centre. Ben Gollings and Matt Moore play on the wing and new Aussie signing Nathan Williams plays at Full Back.

Dan Luger, Tani Fuga and Roy Winters were also not available for selection due to injury.

Quins Fijian signing Bill Satala who only arrived last week starts on the bench and it will be interesting to see if he gets some time in the second half. Will Greenwood is certainly looking forward to playing with him. “Bill will scare a few people. He’s quick, 16 and a half stone and has a step.”

The match will see the return of an old hero in Daren O’Leary who is the highest try scorer in Premier league history. He is unlikely to start but is sure to get a warm reception from Quins supporters. Nigel Melville will also be returning to the Stoop for the first time as coach of Gloucester rather than as coach of ex local rivals Wasps (well you can’t call Wycombe local).

Quins will be attempting to take revenge for last season’s disappointing 6-18 loss. The loss turned into a nadir for Quins as tries for Gloucester scored by Olivier Azam and Diego Albanese dropped Quins to last place in the table. Turner explained “both sides were evenly matched and Gloucester won through an interception try. The result could have gone either way”

The battle up front will be crucial and Quins new signing Laurent Gomez will no doubt receive a warm welcome from the Gloucester front row of Phil Vickery, Olivier Azam and Trevor Woodman who proved last season to be one of the strongest in the Premier League. Dean Ryan’s appointment as Gloucester Forwards coach is sure to add an aggressive edge to their pack. Particular attention will be paid by both sets of supporters when Ace Tiatia comes up against Junior Paramore.

The Shed, Stuart Barnes and the rest of the rugby fraternity were shocked last season when Gloucester produced an exciting and adventurous back line. For the first time in years more tries were scored on the wing than through the rolling maul. They were armed by Paul Turner and fired by French Fly Half Ludovic Mercier who was perhaps the most effective Fly Half in English domestic rugby. The rest of the back line includes Andy Gomarsall, Henry Paul, the hard tackling Richard Todd, Terry Fanolua and exciting England Wing prospect James Simpson-Daniel. Gloucester’s team has not been announced yet and it is thought that Henry Paul may get the nod at Fly Half instead of Mercier.

New boys are Thinus Delport (Ex South African International Full Back) who is likely to take on the kicking duties, Peter Buxton (ex Newport Flanker), and Rodrigo Roncero (Argentinian Prop).

Gloucester warmed up for their season with a tough tour of South Africa. Their first match was a victory over a Durban Barbarians side and was followed by a disappointing 34-42 loss to the Natal Sharks. They then played Newport home and away winning 51-15 and 56-5.

Gloucester are sure to provide a stern test for Quins in their opening game of the season. Both teams will be determined to start the new campaign with a victory. I can’t wait.

15. N. Williams 14 M Moore 13. W Greenwood 12 C Bell 11. B Gollings 10 P Burke 9 M Powell 1. J Leonard 2. K Wood 3. L Gomez 4. A Codling 5. B Davison 6. A Tiatia 7. P Sanderson 8. T Diprose

Replacements: 16. Mario Caputo 17. Bruce Starr 18. Jim Evans 19. Luke Sherriff 20. Scott Bemand 21. David Sleman 22. Viliame Satala

15. T Delport 14. J. Simpson-Daniel 13.T Fanolua 12. R Todd 11. T. Beim 10. H Paul 9. A Gomarsall 1. T. Woodman 2. O Azam 3. P Vickery (Capt) 4. R Fidler 5. E Pearce 6. J Forrester 7. J Boer 8. J Paramore.