Five points – not to be sniffed at
Friday 6th October 2017, kick off 7.45pm: Premiership Rugby Round 6: Harlequins v Sale Sharks at the Stoop: Harlequins 42 Sale Sharks 26: Harlequins 5 league points (4 for a win, bonus point for 4 tries) – Sale Sharks 1 (for 4 tries). League positions: Harlequins 5th on 15 points, Sale Sharks 8th on 13 points.
Sale Sharks are riding something of a revival in the North-West this season but their record on the road is woeful – ten consecutive losses and at least four seasons since they won at the Stoop. As it happens I am staying in the Sussex countryside at the moment and only managed to view proceedings live on BT Sport because Her Indoors was intent on making phone calls and watching Eastenders on her computer, which left me free to watch them in the snug after our early evening meal.
Quins came out of the blocks fired up despite captain James Horwill failing a concussion protocol on Thursday and, with Danny Care at full throttle, gained an attacking edge that moved them out to a three-try 27-7 lead by half-time. Hitherto out-of-favour Scottish international winger Tim Visser scored off training-ground Care ‘chip-kick dinks to the corner’ tries either side of the break and his left side counterpart Marland Yarde finished proceedings with a run-in touchdown close to the posts at the death, but the final score rather flattered Quins. Worryingly, Sale ‘won’ the second half 19-15 because – stereotypically – the home side relaxed and lost concentration after securing the four-try bonus instead of kicking on and crushing them.
Some mitigation might possibly be justified via the current injury crisis sweeping the Premiership from which Quins have suffered as badly as anyone – witness the precautionary withdrawals abounding from the 65-minute mark onwards after flanker Jack Clifford left the pitch forlornly (right arm wound up in his shirt) with a suspected shoulder dislocation just days after being called into England’s autumn international squad as a replacement for Number 8 Billy Vunipola by Eddie Jones.
A brief word about Quins’ newbie Marcus Smith at outside half. Hitherto I’ve been distinctly cautious about joining the bandwagon hailing him as England’s next ‘Big Thing’ because of his youth (only just 18 and thrust into the limelight by being called to train with England) but last night he posted another 17 points and ran the game well – he’s developing quickly, there’s no doubt about it. Let’s see how he’s progressed by the end of this season before counting any chickens, however.
Going forward, this swallow isn’t going to make a summer. Quins have some tough fixtures coming down the tracks in the next five weeks. Our defence around the pack fringes and in midfield still needs plenty of work and the Kevin Keegan (Newcastle years) tactical approach of “You score four, we’ll score five …” has never buttered any parsnips for us, especially when playing away from south-west London. The next four games are going to be squeaky bum time, even for those of us watching from behind the sofa.
