Preview: NEC Harlequins v Coventry

By Worried of Whitton
February 17 2006

Real Rugby returns to The Stoop this weekend as NEC Harlequins meet Coventry in Round 19 of  the National Division 1 Championship. Kick off is at 3.00pm, as Harlequins seek to continue and maintain their unbeaten run this season.

Safe in the knowledge that Harlequins are top of the table you may not be overly familiar with the league table. In the run in to the end of the season, with eight games to play, Quins have to play all six sides that are currently immediately below them in the league. The run in includes two tricky away trips to the south west, the remainder of Quins games are at home and the match against London Welsh ,within the borough. The Pirates win over second placed Bedford last weekend did Quins a big favour and has increased the gap between first and second, however we still have to play both teams. Bedford, themselves face another tough away match this weekend against Rotherham. With Quins emphatic win at Castle Park, Doncaster last Sunday it is hoped that  will have been their last journey North in this league.

Coventry currently lie in seventh place in the table, well clear of the drop zone, and they should have an optimistic view of next season providing they can hold on to their key performers, such as their flanker Johnson,who is developing into a real pack leader together with their captain Rheeders they have the making of a strong back row. In addition there is Moore a winger with an 80% goal kicking ratio. As well as their ground Coventry are building for the future as it was reported this week that former England prop Rob Hardwick is set to return to Coventry after an eight-year spell with London Irish. He has made only one start for London Irish since he suffered a neck injury at Saracens in October.

With seven wins and eleven defeats, they travel to The Stoop on the back of three straight victories over Otley away and two home games against, Doncaster and Pertemps Bees, and will therefore be confident of trying to pull off an upset, and will be up for match. One Coventry fan suggested that this weekend “I can t see it will be anything but a damage limitation exercise but stranger things have happened in sport. In the real world if we keep within 15 points that would be an achievement away from home, alternatively if all the team play at 110% maybe something would be possible.

Last weekend Coventry were at home to Pertemps Bees winning with a wafer thin margin of 30-29. As the Birmingham Post reported “ don' t be confused by the scoreline; a typical local derby this was not. Normally packed with big tackles, yellow cards and more handbags than the Ritzy dance floor on a Saturday night, Coventry and Pertemps Bees confounded all the pre-match predictions of blood and thunder to deliver a thoroughly entertaining spring-day knockabout”. The match was as good as a local derby can get. The lead changing hands a number of times with open competitive rugby and lots of tries from both sides. Bees pick up a bonus point due to the four tries they ran in as well as one for the loosing margin. Coventry went at the ahead with a second minute try from centre Dave Tiueti duly converted by James Moore. The Bees responded penalty goal and converted try to go 7-10 ahead but Coventry regained the lead when winger David Millard went over and Moore converted for 14-10.  However Coventry began to loose their focus  and with some poor kicking allowed Pertemps Bees to score two tries and a conversion. At the break Coventry went in down  14 - 22. In the second half a revitalised team saw Coventry winger Moore kick  three penalties in the third quarter to give the lead back to the home side 23-22 lead on the hour. Moore continued to add the points as well as he went over for a 69th minute try which he converted for a 30-22 lead. Bees did score a late try to get two bonus points as ex Quins prop Adrian Olver went over the Coventry line which was converted. Final score 30-29.

Last Sunday's match against Doncaster was one of this seasons biggest wins, with six converted tries and a penalty and the first time Quins defence prevented any opposition score. By all accounts the team were very sharp and focussed and played very well. Keogh’s try saw him draw level with Pirates Richard Welding in the ND1 try count. Both have twelve tries, with Monye hot on their heels with eleven and Nick Easter charging through with ten of his own!  Despite the absence of Mehrtens, Jarvis had a very good afternoon with his boot  but both kickers have had their kick ratios surpassed by Will Greenwood who stands firm with a 100% a record he is unlikely to want to relinquish this season.

Scotty has said that the Quins team selection will not be confirmed until after the final training session on Friday morning, but added that a number of players have returned from injury, and international selection and will be available for selection this week. They are Ceri Jones, Mark Lambert, Chris Robshaw, Steve So'oialo, Gavin Duffy Jordan Turner-Hall and of course we welcome back, Andrew Mehrtens after his wedding in New Zealand. Unavailable due to injury are James Hayter and Mike Brown.

Coventry’s Mike Umaga has announced a fairly strong side for Saturdays match , which has pleased many Coventry fans The Coventry pack is probably the biggest they can field and Clapham and Venter will make themselves known. Their only concern for the Coventry fans is that their squad keep focussed and disciplined and not hand out to many gifts to Quins.

It is hard not to predict a Quins win at fortress Stoop, the only difficulty is assessing the size of the win, however Quins should come away with five points

 

Come on You Quins !

 

NEC Harlequins:
15. Tom Williams , 14. Simon Keogh, 13. Will Greenwood, 12. Gavin Duffy, 11. Ugo Monye, 10. Adrian Jarvis, 9. Steve So'oialo, 1. Ceri Jones, 2. Jimmy Richards, 3. Ricky Nebbett, 4. Jim Evans, 5. Simon Miall, 6. Tom Guest, 7. Andre Vos (Capt.), 8. Nick Easter
Replacements: 16. Tani Fuga, 17. Lorne Ward, 18. George Robson, 19. Luke Sherriff, 20. Andrew Mehrtens, 21. Tosh Masson, 22. George Harder

Coventry:
15. Stewart, 14. Millard, 13. Geraghty, 12. Tiueti, 11. Moore, 10. Higgins, 9. Walls, 8. Rheeders (c), 7. Johnson Buckingham, 6. Venter, 5. Clapham, 4.Campton, 3. Bucknall, 2. Protherough, 1. Pulu,
Replacements from: K. Johnson, Harvey, Chrystie, Treston, Pale, McNamee, Brits

Match Officials:
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Touch Judges: Gareth Copsey and Paul Dickens