Quinswatch: It’s grim down south
Monday 3rd October: Harlequins A v Exeter Braves in the Aviva Premiership ‘A’ League. Kick-off advertised as 7.30pm, actual 7.45pm. Result: Harlequins A 22 Exeter Braves 38.
Almost by chance I visited the Harlequins official website mid-morning yesterday and noticed for the first time that the ‘A’ team were to be playing the Exeter Braves – as the Exeter Chiefs’ ‘A’ league team is called – last night. As in the UK Monday night is ‘dead’ as far as television viewing (well at least mine) is concerned, I figured that I might as well pop down to the Stoop for want of anything better to do and see how the boys got on.
The Aviva Premiership ‘A’ League was launched in 2003, split into southern and northern conferences, and traditionally gives Premiership clubs the opportunity to field first-teamers who ain’t getting much game time at the moment, players returning from injury, academy players and ‘guest’ players who may be on the verge of joining academies or otherwise have dispensation to play (e.g. players from Championship clubs being given the chance to sample life at a Premiership club in the build-up to a match day).
Over the years some have argued over its worth. Certainly early on – when clubs tended to play the same teams in the Premiership week in, week out, unless injury and/or national selection played a hand – there was a definite feeling amongst the fans that whilst some clubs took it (and one might imagine any competition) seriously, others barely paid lip service to it – well, other than putting out some sort of side each time because it was a contractual obligation.
That said, I was always a fan. In Quins’ case – though our results were never consistent – the ‘A’ League was approached ‘as it said on the tin’ and so those like me who turned out to watch (entrance usually free to season tickets holders, or as we now call them ‘members’, or a tenner to non-members) got the opportunity to assess the fitness of players now coming back from injury and to spot the potential of new up-and-coming academy kids. And from about 2007 onwards Quins had some great youngsters coming through. I even occasionally travelled to away games – not always a Grade A experience when crowds could vary from 2,500 down to about 500 max in conditions of torrential rain and/or bitter cold and you could hear every coach’s call, the “Two, three, four, five” grunted by both sides every time the packs engaged at scrum time and every expletive uttered by anyone.
I can remember vividly on one occasion going to the Saracens ground for a Quins ‘A’ League game specifically to watch the debut of former rugby league great Andy Farrell, then being tried as a blind-side forward, and being mightily impressed by his character and commitment (he eventually came on from the bench and immediately began ordering everyone about even though he’d never played union previously).
At the end of the 2011/2012 season the callow Quins ‘A’ League team made the ‘A’ League final and I drove down to Sandy Park on my own for what seemed like about five hours in a monsoon one evening just for the hell of it. We lost by about 27 points to 9 that night … and then I drove straight back home again.
The value of the ‘A’ League at the time – at least to Quins – was proven by the fact that the same season we won the Premiership Final … and the next (2012/2013) our youngsters went on to win the ‘A’ League final.
Since then, of course – I don’t want to go on about it but am afraid I will – it has all been something of a downward curve.
Last night didn’t provide many signs of hopeful green shoots either.
Parking at the ground was an ordeal – there was some sort of local school parents and teachers’ evening or something going on and so suitable space was in short supply – and the crowd was a sparse as I can remember at the Stoop for an A’ League fixture (mind you, my short term memory is not so good these days) … maybe 800 to 1,000?
I was looking to assess the form of Harry Sloan (our former academy centre) and Charlie Matthews (our ditto lock) and get a first proper look at Ruaridh Jackson, our summer Scottish international signing, at 10. We had six academy kids in the match day 23, two guests from Championship side Ealing Trailfinders and Luc Jones, an Under-20 capped Welsh scrum half guesting from the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Sloan – who I once had very high hopes of – put himself about handsomely. Matthews was billed to start but didn’t even warm up with the team, only appearing at all midway through the first half to go and warm up in solitary (he’s another who once promised much but has yet to ‘train on’ to being more than a club player). Jackson has a good boot on him but looks a lightweight as a playmaker in the centre of the park and to be honest there wasn’t much from anyone else in the Quins colours by way of ‘hand putting up’ and/or stand-out performances. The on-field malaise and sense of ‘going through the motions’ continues – there’s just no fizz, zip, team spirit momentum or confidence in the playing side at the moment – hardly surprising really, when you consider we’re currently languishing in 11th place out of 12 in the Premiership, albeit eight points clear of new boys (and relegation favourites) Bristol Rugby.
[I wouldn’t want anyone to point out that the single league point Bristol have amassed so far is their losing bonus point from their opening game of the season, inevitably against Quins – and we were damned lucky to win that one. Since then Wasps, the current Premiership leaders, have beaten Bristol 70-22 and us 47-18.]
The best thing I came away with on the night was a copy of Brendan Gallagher’s official tome on the history of the club – 150 Years of Harlequins – bought from the merchandising shop.