Quins enter Europe and possibly leave it as well
Saturday 14th October 2017: European Rugby Champions Cup 2017/2018: Pool1 (Ulster, La Rochelle, Wasps, Harlequins): Round 1 match – Harlequins v La Rochelle at the Stoop, kick off 5.30pm: Result – Harlequins 27 La Rochelle 34.
I watched this game from the sanctuary of my flat live on television courtesy of Sky Sports Action and it went entirely according to the pre-match build-up and pundits’ predictions.
La Rochelle are the ‘new boys on the block’, a fearsomely large and impressively talented squad full of grisly Southern Hemisphere veterans built on the ready cash of their multi-millionaire owner Vincent Merling who is intent upon nothing less than creating a new dynasty to rank along those of the past such as Toulon, Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne.
This was La Rochelle’s first-ever appearance in the top club cup competition in Europe and Quins’ first in three seasons. The forecast was that La Rochelle, who unusually for a French team have a reputation of being happy to play away from home, would undoubtedly score tries because of their willingness to throw the ball about and begin attacks from anywhere on the pitch.
Sounds familiar? That’s what pundits Will Greenwood and Scott Quinell thought. Although both predicted a La Rochelle victory they added that if Quins also played to their similar reputation, we could be in for a treat of harum-scarum rugby on this Friday night in south-west London.
And that’s exactly what the onlookers (judging by the gaps in the stands at the Stoop I should think only about 10,000 attended in person) saw unfold in front of them. The star-studded La Rochelle players were indeed uniformly large, fast and well-drilled and deservedly took the spoils. Quins in turn were not quite the stereotypical ‘boys playing against men’ but gave a generally good account of themselves and asked some serious questions of the visitors despite not having nearly as much success at ‘breaking the line’ and getting in behind their opponents’ defence or indeed converting their pressure into points.
Individual salutes must go to Quins (and sometime former 62 cap Australian) captain and lock James Horwill [left], who played a splendid all-court game that included some spectacular defence and at least two turnovers; to the indefatigable Chris Robshaw, who just never stopped running and competing; and to the returning-from-injury Mike Brown at full back, who made some telling interventions in attack as Quins strove to stay in touch.
I’d also award mentions in dispatches to our centres Jamie Roberts and Joe Marchant, and also to diminutive 18 year old fly half Marcus Smith.
I’ve been very cautious to join in the hype building around Smith but I have to admit that – on last night’s evidence – I am now beginning to understand what Eddie Jones and others have seen in him. He wasn’t in the least bit overawed by the occasion and not only ran some flair-filled plays but made some brilliant little half-breaks of his own. And he kicked his goals as well.
It was a good evening for your author. I made myself a little something to eat, settled into my favourite arm chair, watched an exciting end-to-end rugby match on my television and – as soon as it was over – switched across to BBC1 to watch the second half of last night’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing which I also found entertaining and fun.
What was telling towards the end of the match was Sky Sports’ co-commentator Stuart Barnes’s comment that if – as was then becoming certain – Quins did lose last night, their odyssey this season in Europe would effectively be over and they (and the other English Premiership non-contenders) would now ‘give up’ and concentrate instead upon survival and then if possible success in the Premiership – especially given the current all-round injury crisis that has engulfed the Premiership clubs.
It’s early days yet, of course, but it seems that my ruse of not renewing my season ticket at the Stoop – and having to trudge to and from the ground to watch Quins play – is starting to pay off handsomely.
If I want to watch some rugby in the flesh I can always go and watch Richmond, London Scottish or Rosslyn Park anytime I wish – they all play to a decent standard and offer the joys of standing pitchside, along with fellow followers of the oval ball game who like a pie and a pint, and watching chaps playing for little more than the love of the game.
