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 being champions with four out to England call-ups (Marcus Smith, Joe Marler, Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant).

However, this is no real excuse as Sale missed Tom Curry and it was the opportunity for young players to step up to the plate.

On the England defeat, the prevalent media view is that Marcus Smith should not have been subbed.

In true Harlequins fashion I doubt if Smith would have gone for points on the board in the final minutes but he might have kicked from foot more penetratively than George Ford.

Whilst I thought Smith played well, he clearly suffered in the absence of Danny Care and Alex Dombrandt.

Tuilagi played effectively for Sale so he might be recalled.

Smith performs best with a bulldozing centre. Yet he did enough for me, with a try and conversions, to justify his place.

England should beat Italy comfortably but France have a competitive steeliness about them unlike previous sides.

Next week’s match in Paris against Ireland is going to be decisive.

In criticising the pulling of Smith, few analyst have commented that Joe Marchant was out of position for the Finn Russell crosskick resulting in Lewis- Dickie fumbling it.

We Harlequins supporters admire Joe Marchant, but not as a wing.