Articles by Derek Williams

Sunday 22nd January 2017: European Challenge Cup, Pool stage, round 6; Stade Francais v Harlequins in Paris. Result – Stade Francais 27 Harlequins 17. Effect: Stade Francais qualify for the ‘last Eight’ knock-out stage, Harlequins bow out. Harlequins’ 2016/2017 season woes continued [...]

Saturday 14th January 2017: European Challenge Cup pool stage: Harlequins v Edinburgh Rugby at the Stoop, kick off 1500 hours: Harlequins 18 Edinburgh Rugby 23: (Edinburgh Rugby 4 points for a victory, now certain of reaching the quarter-finals; Harlequins 1 losing bonus point, now needing to win [...]

Tuesday 27th December: Aviva Premiership: Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby (Big Game 9) at Twickenham Stadium, kick-off 4.00pm (attendance 77,000); Result – Harlequins 28 Gloucester Rugby 24. Regular Rust readers will be aware that I gave up attending matches at Twickenham Stadium some eight years [...]

After the Mickey Mouse mismatch-farces of the Timisoara Saracens European Challenge Cup matches over the past fortnight, we Harlequins fans are now preparing for the festive season and what in 2016 will be the supposed extravaganza of Big Game 9 at Twickenham Stadium next Tuesday, the day after [...]

Saturday 17th December: European Challenge Cup pool stage: Harlequins v Timisoara Saracens at the Stoop: Result – Harlequins 75 Timisoara Saracens 3. Quins tries: Wallace, Visser, Roberts 3, Brown 2, Yarde 2, Clifford, Swiel. Quins conversions: Jackson 5, Swiel 5. Having won the away leg 42-3 [...]

European Challenge Cup Pool 5 (group stage): Timisoara Saracens v Harlequins at the Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, kick-off 1300 hours UK time: Result – Timisoara Saracens 3 Harlequins 42. Half-time score 3-21. Bonus point secured for Harlequins one minute into the second half. Tries for Quins by Ward, [...]

Sunday 4th December 2016: Aviva Premiership Round 10: Newcastle Falcons v Harlequins at Kingston Park, kick-off 1500 hours: Result – Newcastle Falcons 38 Harlequins 32: Newcastle Falcons 5 league points – Harlequins 2 league points. In sixty-something years I have visited the city of Newcastle [...]

Aviva Premiership Round 9: Sunday 27th November 2106: Harlequins v Bath Rugby at the Stoop, kick-off 3.15pm: Result – Harlequins 21 Bath Rugby 20: League points – Harlequins 3 Bath Rugby 1: (New league positions – Bath Rugby third in the table on 31 points, Harlequins 6th on 21 points, five [...]

20th November 2016: Aviva Premiership Round 8: Leicester Tigers v Harlequins at Welford Road, kick-off 3.15pm: Result – Leicester Tigers 25 Harlequins 6. Overnight yesterday it had rained with something like a vengeance and in the morning, as I discovered when I nipped across the road to collect [...]