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Articles by Derek Williams

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About Derek Williams

A recently-retired actuary, the long-suffering Derek has been a Quins fan for the best part of three decades. More Posts

Worcester Warriors 21 Harlequins 29

This was a significant victory for Quins given the absence of Marcus Smith, Luke North, Joe Marler, Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant. Danny Care continues to play out of his skin, Tom Lawday was made man of the match but my stand-out player was second row forward Hugh Tizzard. At at 6 feet 5 inches [...]

February 26, 2022 // 0 Comments

Saracens 19 Harlequins 10

In appalling conditions of high wind, sleeting rain and cold Harlequins slipped to their third consecutive defeat. It would be wrong to blame this on their England absentees for two reasons. Quins were let down by their established  players like Andre Esterhuizen who has lost his dynamism and [...]

February 14, 2022 // 0 Comments

Harlequins lose (again)

Harlequins lost comprehensively to Sale Sharks (14-36). They now have two more tricky games without their England stars against Saracens next Sunday – which I’m going to – and Wasps. At least yesterday they had Luke Northmore back from England duty, but they are paying the price for [...]

February 7, 2022 // 0 Comments

To Bath (and back again one day)

I had previously visited Bath only five times in my life – three of them day expeditions to watch the Harlequins play “away” Premiership matches against Bath Rugby – and so my wife and I, delighted to take up the suggestion of the Rust’s esteemed sports editor that we join him at The Rec [...]

February 2, 2022 // 0 Comments

Harlequins 36 Castres 33

The performance of Harlequins is getting so predictable that it’s almost becoming dull. I say ‘almost’ as dull and Harlequins are a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. Castres took the inevitable lead but Quins fought back. Referee Mike Adamson was definitely whistle-happy and broke up the [...]

January 22, 2022 // 0 Comments

Rugby matters

One quote from Eddie Jones, after selecting his squad for the Six Nations, surprised me – namely, the reference that Marcus Smith needs Owen Farrell as the latter has ‘the big picture’ and can effectively play in the style of the All Black second 5/8th. In fact it’s Marcus Smith who has [...]

January 20, 2022 // 0 Comments

A wet and unsatisfying trip to the Stoop

Yesterday I was in a party of five – three of them Exeter Chiefs supporters – that travelled to the Harlequins home ground in cold, blustery and super-wet conditions for a English Premiership clash resulting in a closely fought 14-12 victory for the hosts. It is a fact of sporting life that [...]

January 9, 2022 // 0 Comments

An exhilarating rugby Premiership title won against the odds

Yesterday afternoon from 4.30pm onwards, shut away at home, I watched the build-up to and then the full two and a half hours’ worth of English rugby union’s Premiership Final (and its aftermath) between Exeter Chiefs and Harlequins at RFU Twickenham being broadcast ‘live’ on BT Sport 1. I [...]

June 27, 2021 // 0 Comments

A “Road to Damascus” moment?

Yesterday (Sunday), probably mentally unbalanced by the effects of prolonged lockdown, I gritted my teeth and built my day around BT Sport’s ‘live’ coverage of the Premiership rugby match between Harlequins and Northampton Saints at the Stoop [commencing at 2.00pm, kick-off 3.00pm]. Having [...]

March 8, 2021 // 0 Comments

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes …

Yesterday out of the blue – simply because it was there – I opted to watch yesterday’s Premiership rugby match between Wasps and the Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry which was being broadcast ‘live’ by BT Sport. Wasps and Quins have a long ‘London derby’ rivalry that began in [...]

February 1, 2021 // 0 Comments

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