Harlequins 28 Glasgow Warriors 24 (Investec Cup)
The Comeback Kings are fast becoming the collapsible ones.
41-3 up against Bath Rugby, the game finished 41-34.
Last night, after a sluggish start, Quins went 0-7 down but recovered to 21-7.
In the second half Glasgow Warriors made it 24-21 and only a late try by Sam Riley and conversion by Marcus Smith achieved victory and a quarter final tie against the winner of Bordeaux Bègles and Saracens.
Quins’ inconsistency makes for an exciting match and an appetiser and apéritif for rugby coverage over the weekend but provides little comfort for us fans.
It’s difficult to be precise why our team can be thrashed one week – as we were against Sarries – and then the next week beat Bath Rugby.
The starting point must be the team. Marcus Smith, Danny Care, André Esterhuizen, Joe Marler and Caden Murley are players of high calibre but none produce a consistent performance.
Is it the coaching?
Coach Danny Wilson was at Glasgow and the mantra seems to be to acknowledge the inconsistency rather than correct it.
At the end of the season Esterhuizen and Lewis – the reserve hooker – are leaving so maybe more consistent players will replace them?
The most inconsistent of all is Marcus Smith.
Yesterday’s often sublime performance was typical.
At one point he drifted inside, assessed his options and then kicked a superbly accurate dink pass for Esterhuizen to score.
At another moment he weaved through the Glasgow defence to score himself.
Yet, as Glasgow relentlessly got back into the game, where was he?
He seems to have been around so long that one forgets his career path – including playing in a World Cup, the Six Nations and for the British Lions – began only in 2021.
Will he be the Jack Grealish – or before him the Glenn Hoddle – of English rugby, with a a sublime skill set that works at club, but not international, level?
We come back to the debate of entertainment or trophies.
Owen Farrell is the lesser talent but Sarries under him win trophies and England beat New Zealand in World Cup in Japan and were only narrowly beaten by South Africa in France.