Gloucester Rugby 14 Harlequins 0 (Rugby Premiership)
This was one of the most inept performances I have seen from Quins. Their big players – Marcus Smith, Fin Baxter, Chandler Cunningham South and Caden Murkey – failed to perform.
In the first half they were comprehensively overwhelmed by the physicality of the Cherry Reds. We expected a Quins-style revival but in an error-strewn second half it never happened. The twin presenters on TNT covered the game in an an over-enthusiastic way but in truth it was not even an attractive game of rugby.
Following defeat v Bristol, Quins came back to form in defeating the Stormers of South Africa comprehensively, with both Murley and Alex Dombrandt scoring three tries. They could not replicate that performance and Gloucester were tenacious and quicker to the ball. Fin Baxter was hyped up by the TNT team as a loose head prop that would not only become better than Joe Marler but another legend Jason Leonard . As it happened he was out scrummaged by 20 year old Gloucester prop Afe Fasoghon.
Whilst I am no fan of Irne Herbst, they missed his physical presence in the second row as, in the first half particularly, the Quins scrum was pushed around. Without a platform, they could not get going and when they tried to do this in the second half, poor handling and decision-making dogged them. We look like – and indeed are – a mid-table team.
Rugby itself is in crisis.
Wasps, Worcester Warriors have gone to the financial wall – as have London Irish – and there is universal outcry that the big honchos in the RFU have rewarded themselves with huge bonuses. The chairman has resigned – he was a permanent member of the RFU Remuneration Committee and had to fall on his sword – but CEO Bill Sweeney is still there…. but hanging on by his no doubt manicured fingernails
The punter is confused by the number of competitions and the broadcasters. To watch Quins in the Heineken trophy – in which they are faring well – you need to take out a £25 monthly subscription to Premier Sport in addition to the £30 you are already paying to TNT for their rugby coverage.
The coverage hyped up the games and the explanation of the job of a “jackal” loose forward by Ben Kay and Sam Warburton was difficult to follow.
Quins entertain Leicester Tigers next week and I cannot see them making the play-offs.