Articles by Derek Williams

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s now back-to-work time and the business end of the rugby season. Sadly, the Harlequins have been resolutely stuck in second gear this term. After 12 rounds of matches, we’re languishing in 8th position in the Premiership, albeit at least we have it in our own hands [...]

This doesn’t sound entirely rational but, having just returned from a two-man 24-hour trip to Dublin for the European Rugby Champions Cup group stage clash between Leinster and Harlequins, last night I sat down and watched my long-form recording of the BT Sport coverage in order to gain a better [...]

Now here’s a funny thing – in a re-run of the infamous ‘Bloodgate’ match of 2009, yesterday the Harlequins hosted the mighty Dublin-based Leinster province at the Stoop and not only beat them 24-18 in a full-bloodied contest that either side could have won, but thereby laid a number of [...]

I’m beginning to get fed up with my version of every true fan’s eternal quest to keep his pecker up and see the positive side of things when they just aren’t going in his team’s direction. There’s no two ways about it – Quins are playing rubbish this term and there’s no end to it in [...]

Last night, not least seeking refuge from BBC1’s annual fundraising orgy Children In Need, I tuned in to watch Harlequins play away in the Premiership against Gloucester on BT Sport. Gloucester is one of the great English rugby institutions. There’s no football to speak of in the vicinity and [...]

The LV= Cup is an Anglo-Welsh competition which, like the Premiership ‘A’ League, gives non-first team starters, academy players and those coming back from injury the opportunity for some game time. Last Sunday Quins lost to their London nemesis Saracens in the Cup, narrowly enough to dispel [...]

Rugby is no exception to the general sporting rule that derby matches count for plenty and last night’s 16-23 victory over Wasps in the second round of the group stage of the Rugby Champions Cup (which has replaced the Heineken as the top European competition) was a welcome boost to what [...]