Harlequins v London Welsh Preview
By Mark W-J
September 4 2012
Life in the Aviva Premiership certainly doesn’t get any easier for London Welsh. Following our opening defeat at home to the most successful club in the history of league rugby, Leicester Tigers, at Oxford last Sunday, we have only a five day turnaround before visiting the current champions, Harlequins, at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday evening, kick-off 7:45pm.
The last time we played at the Stoop we were the home side for a National Division One meeting with Quins on Easter Saturday 2006 in front of what was, until last Sunday, our record league attendance of 5,120. The ‘visitors’ were 28-17 winners on the day, scoring four converted tries in the first half before somehow holding the Welsh at bay during a full 40 minute onslaught after the break. Quins’ former Chief Executive, Mark Evans, was often quoted as saying that relegation from the Premiership at the end of the 2004-05 season had set the club’s development back at least two years, but from the outside looking in it seemed that the club had been struggling to break out of mid-table mediocrity for too long, and that relegation was the harsh kick in the pants that was needed to awaken the sleeping giant. Five of their players - Ugo Monye, Andrew Mehrtens, Simon Miall, Andre Vos and Nick Easter - were voted into the Rugby Times dream team at the end of that season, while of the current squad Monye, Tom Williams, Mike Brown, Tom Guest, George Robson, Chris Robshaw and Easter all played against the Welsh. The attendance of 10,115 for the away fixture on Boxing Day 2005 remains the biggest crowd to have watched Welsh in league rugby, although it would be a surprise if that figure were not bettered on Friday night, given that the average gate at the Stoop last season was just over 12,500.
Mike Brown - at the London Double Header
starting his eighth season for Quins
Harlequins became the seventh club to be crowned Champions in the 25 years of league rugby not by finishing top of the league after 22 matches, but by winning the play-off final at Twickenham in May, beating Leicester 30-23 in front of a crowd of almost 82,000. Yet there are still many people who believe that London Welsh shouldn’t be in the Premiership because we ‘only’ finished 4th in the Championship last season. Regardless of the achievements of Wasps - who won four Premiership titles in six years between 2002-03 and 2007-08, despite not finishing top during the regular season since 1996-97 - and Exeter, who finished runners-up to Bristol in the inaugural Championship campaign before overcoming them in the promotion play-off final, it has escaped the attention of some rugby fans that the introduction of a play-off system dramatically alters the dynamic of the season. Last season Welsh - like Wasps and Exeter before them - paced themselves throughout the autumn and winter months, effectively treating it as a 22-game pre-season, so that by the time the play-offs began in early spring, Lyn had arrived on a settled team who were fit for the challenge ahead. You won’t find a single London Welsh fan who would argue with the assertion that Bristol were the best team in the regular season, but they learnt - to their cost - a lesson that, in all honesty, they should have learned two years previously.
Harlequins began the defence of their crown with a barely credible 42-40 win over Wasps at Twickenham, in the first part of the London Double-Header. They trailed for 75 minutes, conceding a try to winger Christian Wade inside two minutes and finding themselves 20-0 down in less than a quarter of an hour. Quins pulled-back to 25-13 by half-time, but two more tries from Wasps in the third quarter saw the Buckinghamshire-based Londoners collect a first try-bonus since they beat Leicester 35-29 on 11th September last year to lead 40-13 with 25 minutes still to play. And play is what Harlequins - belatedly - did. They crossed four times - through Tom Guest, Mike Brown (twice) and Nick Evans - and the Kiwi fly-half kicked the decisive penalty with three minutes remaining. Welsh, on the other hand, were comfortably beaten on our Premiership debut, 38-13, by nine-times Champions, Leicester, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game in which most neutrals - and a fair few home supporters, if we’re honest - expected us to be blown away. We stand eighth in the ‘best defence’ league, ahead of four clubs who conceded 40+ points; with two tries scored we currently have the seventh most potent attack in the Premiership, having crossed as many times as the combined might of Bath, Gloucester, London Irish, Sale and Worcester; and we held the Tigers at bay throughout the final quarter, the time when you’d expect their superior power to tell. But the most important stat of all - and the only one that really matters to us this season - is that we are not bottom of the league.
Gordon Ross kicks-off against Leicester to get first
LW Premiership game underway
Friday night’s game will be the 77th meeting in a series dating back to 12th February 1887, with Quins currently enjoying a run of eight wins, which gives them an overall lead of 33-32 with eleven draws. Their biggest win was 55-7 on 1st February 1992, less than three months after eight of their players (Paul Ackford, Will Carling, Simon Halliday, Jason Leonard, Brian Moore, Micky Skinner, Peter Winterbottom and Wallaby No.8 Troy Coker) had appeared in the World Cup Final across the road at Twickenham, while our best result was a 48-6 victory at HQ on 30th October 1971. However, our 38-3 win at Queens’ Club on 17th December 1904 included ten tries - four of them by Hop Maddocks - which were then worth only three points apiece. Quite what Maddocks - or Adrian Stoop, for that matter - would have made of a rugby match being rescheduled to accommodate a Lady Gaga concert on the Cabbage Patch probably doesn’t bear thinking about.
Clean catch puts pressure on Tigers' line last Sunday
Our thanks to Ian B and Everpresent for the LW v Leicester match photos
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Those visiting The Stoop ma find the information on the following thread useful: [www.rugbynetwork.net] Thanks to the Quins supporters that contributed.
Quote:Harlequins became the seventh club to be crowned Champions in the 25 years of league rugby not by finishing top of the league after 22 matches, but by winning the play-off final at Twickenham in May
Err...unless I am very confused Quins were top of the league at the end of the season. They were top from week three on I think.
Although, on reflection, I don't think that's what you meant.
BB
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:05:21:15:23 by Brown Bottle.
Quins are the 7th club in 25 years to be crowned Champions. You don't get crowned Champions by winning the league but by winning the play-off.
Therefore Mark is correct!
Edit: Just seen your edit!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:05:21:19:21 by nld.
Although, on reflection, I don't think that's what you meant.
[/quote]BB. You just beat me to it. Mark W-J did mean that QUINS still won the title by being top and by winning the final. Look forward to being at the STOOP on Friday night. PADDYTAF.
"GIVE THEM NO BALL OR BAD BALL WELSH"
Looking forward to seeing you lot on Friday too. Good luck. I think you'll need it. I certainly hope so anyway.
BB
See ya tomorrow!!
COYQ
15. Mike Brown
14. Tom Williams
13. George Lowe
12. Jordan Turner-Hall
11. UgoMonye
10. Nick Evans
9. Karl Dickson
1. Joe Marler
2. Joe Gray
3. James Johnston
4. Olly Kohn
5. George Robson
6. MaurieFa'asavalu
7. Chris Robshaw ©
8. Tom Guest
16. Rob Buchanan
17. Darryl Marfo
18. Kyle Sinckler
19. Charlie Matthews
20. Nick Easter
21. Danny Care
22. Ben Botica
23. Matt Hopper
15. Tom Arscott
14. Phil Mackenzie*
13. Sonny Parker*
12. Hudson Tonga’uiha*
11. Joe Ajuwa
10. Gordon Ross*
9. Tyson Keats
1. Frank Montanella*
2. Neil Briggs
3. Paulica Ion*
4. Jonathan Mills ©
5. Matt Corker
6. Daniel Browne
7. Mike Denbee
8. Ed Jackson
16. Dan George
17. Tom Bristow
18. Arthur Joly
19. Kirill Kulemin*
20. Alfie To’oala*
21. Nick Runciman
22. Seb Jewell
23. Nick Scott
[www.london-welsh.co.uk]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:06:12:42:00 by Mark W-J.
Quote:BBC
Quins' first Premiership match at The Stoop since claiming the title in May will mark their 27th (sic) match up against former neighbours Welsh.
Quote:Dragons' Den
Friday night’s game will be the 77th meeting in a series dating back to 12th February 1887.
Quote:BBC
The last time the two clubs met was back in 2006 in a National One clash which the Exiles lost 28-17. Seven of Quins' squad for Friday night: Ugo Monye, Tom Williams, Mike Brown, Tom Guest, George Robson, Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter featured in the game six years ago."
Quote:Dragons' Den
...of the current squad Monye, Tom Williams, Mike Brown, Tom Guest, George Robson, Chris Robshaw and Easter all played against the Welsh.
Do you think I'm due some royalties, or at least a credit?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:07:10:18:03 by Mark W-J.
Quote:Mark W-J
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19481526Quote:BBC
Quins' first Premiership match at The Stoop since claiming the title in May will mark their 27th (sic) match up against former neighbours Welsh.Quote:Dragons' Den
Friday night’s game will be the 77th meeting in a series dating back to 12th February 1887.
Quote:BBC
The last time the two clubs met was back in 2006 in a National One clash which the Exiles lost 28-17. Seven of Quins' squad for Friday night: Ugo Monye, Tom Williams, Mike Brown, Tom Guest, George Robson, Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter featured in the game six years ago."Quote:Dragons' Den
...of the current squad Monye, Tom Williams, Mike Brown, Tom Guest, George Robson, Chris Robshaw and Easter all played against the Welsh.
Do you think I'm due some royalties, or at least a credit?
Outrageous!