Harlequins

Harlequins have high hopes for premiership success as the 2014-15 Aviva Premiership season kicks off this weekend. Loaded with an abundance of talent, Quins boast no less than nine current and former internationals. England fullback Mike Brown is one of the club’s biggest assets. After last year’s trophy-less campaign—their first in four years, the classy fullback believes his side’s positive style of play can soon bring success back to the Stoop.

“We need to stick to our brand of rugby—off loads, playing quick and counter attack. We also have to do the basics well and stick to our roles as individuals. Then the results will start to come,” he said.

The Stoopers were an inconsistent side last season. A 2-3 start landed them in mid-table where they remained for much of the year. When they eventually found their rhythm, they very much looked like the Harlequins of old. Five straight wins to end the regular season catapulted them into the semi-finals.

They eventually settled for fourth place after being out-dueled a week later by Saracens. Their fast finish could not mask a clear decline in their performances the past two years as the table below shows.

Brown believes that players getting hurt were a major factor in the team’s struggles. “Last season we had problems keeping fit and building partnerships. Injuries affected our consistency throughout the whole year,” he said.

Harlequins will be desperately seeking to arrest the downward trend since their championship-winning 2011-2012 year. An offseason to heal and rejuvenate, as well as the acquisition of two star players—Marland Yarde and Asaeli Tikoirotuma—will bolster the team heading into the new campaign. Brown is particularly excited about the arrival of his England team-mate.

“Marland (Yarde) is quick, powerful and likes taking on defenders with the ball in his hands. He is an attacking player that fits in with the style that we like to play at Harlequins. He’s already slotted in well and had a really good preseason,” he added.

At 22, Yarde is one of the game’s most outstanding young prospects. His damaging bursts had the All Blacks on the ropes this past summer as he notched two tries in three Tests—and could have had more. These scores raised his tally to four five-pointers in only five Test matches.

Yarde’s try-scoring prowess has not been limited to the international arena. Last season, despite suiting up for only 12 Premiership games, he dotted down eight times for London Irish—tied-fourth in the competition. “Hopefully he can score a lot of tries for us too,” remarked Brown. With a 10-try drop off over the last two years, Yarde’s acquisition could be the solution to halting this decline.

Unlike rivals Bath and Gloucester—who have each signed a bunch of new players—Harlequins have only added the two new faces this season. Although they have probably been the quietest club on the market, players returning from injury and youngsters filtering through from their youth academy should provide them with a very strong squad.

Judging by the depth at the back of the scrum, there appears to be a conveyor belt of loose forwards being manufactured these days at the Stoop. Even with the departures of Maurie Fa’asavalu (Oyonnax) and Tom Guest (Wasps), there are players queuing up for starting jerseys at flanker and No. 8. The first name 29-Test veteran Brown mentions is Luke Wallace. He believes the versatile 23-year-old could be on the verge of higher representative honours:

“Last season, Luke showed that he’s on the right path to become an England international. He should be even better this year too. We’ve also got Chris Robshaw, who is a proven world class player, (Joe) Trayfoot, (Jack) Clifford and (James) Chisholm who has shown what he can do in the 7’s—so we have got guys pushing all over. The back row is now one of our strongest areas.”

They also seem to be richly stocked in the centres. Due to injuries, no player started more than 10 Premiership games in the 12 or 13 shirts last season. The rugby gods would be very unkind to deal Quins a similar blow this year. With Jordan Turner-Hall, Matt Hopper, George Lowe, Tom Casson and others competing for starting berths, the quartered jersey should boast a formidable midfield.

The first challenge of the new season for Harlequins will be against capital rivals London Irish. Last year, they managed to get off to a winning start in Round 1 by edging Wasps 16-15. Brown realises that a good start is imperative for his side in this tough derby fixture.

“Obviously we want to hit the ground running. We’re looking forward to a quick start and imposing our style of play against Irish who are a tough side. Hopefully it will be a nice dry track for us at Twickenham on Saturday,” he said.

Some early momentum would be ideal for Harlequins, who will be severely tested by four London derbies in the opening five rounds. A result against Round 2 opponents, Saracens, could be the key to getting their season up and running. The north Londoners have been a particular nemesis to the Quins in recent times. Since the beginning of the 2009-2010 season their record is 1-10 against Sarries in all competitions.

It promises to be another fascinating season with many twists and turns. Quins’ explosive ball-in-hand style of rugby should keep fans at the Stoop on the edge of their seat all season. Fullback Brown’s injection into the back line and counter-attacking prowess will be one of the great features of their play. If they can minimise injuries and gain more consistency, Harlequins have a genuine chance of returning to the podium at season’s end. The quest for them begins on Saturday.  

The quotes in this article were all sourced firsthand. All stats are courtesy of espnscrum.com. To talk rugby and other sports—find me on Twitter:@jdunc1979

Danny Cipriani is looking into extending his stay at Sale Sharks beyond his current contract, which expires at the end of the 2014-15 season.

However, it would be better for his long-term England prospects if Cipriani bided his time and sounded out the possibility of replacing Nick Evans at Harlequins at the end of next season.  

Cipriani seemingly had the rugby world at his feet when he played a starring role against Ireland in the Six Nations in 2008.

Later that year he was dropped by England and since then a series of off-the-field controversies have hampered his development. Now the fly-half, who enjoyed a fine season with Sale Sharks, has announced, as per BBC Sport, that he is "happy to stay" with the club.

Sale finished a creditable sixth in the 2013-14 Aviva Premiership, and Cipriani is clearly grateful to the club for aiding his rejuvenation. As per Sky Sports, Cipriani noted in May:

I have had to add a bit to my game. If I had had these parts developed when I went back into the England team after I broke my ankle, it would have stood me in good stead. I’ve learned that, and you learn that over time as you get older. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me in that position.

Harlequins, however, would be able to offer Cipriani the kind of high-intensity matches that Sale cannot guarantee. Whilst both are in next season's European Champions Cup, it is Harlequins who are an established side in Europe's premier club competition.

Harlequins, who currently start with veteran Nick Evans at fly-half, have the ex-All Black contracted until the end of next season. If Cipriani wants to enhance his England chances, he would be better off sounding out a possible move to Harlequins for the 2015-16 season.

Rather than looking over his shoulder at the relegation places as could be the case with Sale, at Quins Cipriani would be challenging for the Premiership title they last won in 2011. Experience and performances in these key matches are what England will base their selection decisions on.

Cipriani wants his England place back, and the club he plays for has an important role in his chances. If that were Harlequins, Cipriani could forge a strong relationship with Quins and England’s first-choice scrum-half Danny Care.

If those dynamic two players were combining every week at club level, it could be hard for the England management to leave Cipriani out.

Realistically, there is also nowhere in England Cipriani could go other than Harlequins that would be a step up from Sale.

Although the prospect of Cipriani feeding Luther Burrell and George North would excite them, Premiership champions Northampton Saints are happy with their steady 10 Stephen Myler.

Of the other top teams, Saracens have Owen Farrell, Leicester Tigers have just signed Freddie Burns, and Bath Rugby have put their faith in George Ford. The only remaining side that outperformed Sale last term was Harlequins.

Danny Cipriani has an important decision to make, but it is one that should not be rushed. A player of Cipriani's talents deserves to be playing at the highest level.

Loyalty is one of rugby's strongest values, but from a purely playing perspective, Cipriani should strongly consider his future with Sale Sharks. Teaming up with Danny Care at Harlequins would suit him perfectly.

Nine months of sweat and blood, hard graft week-in week-out, comes down to 80 minutes at Twickenham tomorrow in the Guinness Premiership final.

Whatever your views on the knockout format at the end of the regular league season, the prospect of a winner-takes-all showdown between Leicester Tigers and London Irish is sublime.

Undoubtedly, they are two of the best teams this season, and two teams that have certainly been among the most exciting to watch.

After two professional performances in their respective semi-final victories over Bath and Harlequins, both sides will be confident enough that lifting the trophy is within their capabilities, although Leicester start as firm favourites.

Sam Vesty will be pulling the proverbial strings once again, and he is likely to have a strong influence on the outcome of the game.

His ability to read the game at fly-half is being hailed by many knowledgeable rugby sorts, and he does seem to choose the right option more often than not in attack.

If Vesty spots a mismatch in the opposition defence, he’ll not hesitate to exploit it, and seeing people out of position, he and Geordan Murphy will kick behind the Irish back three to keep their side on the front foot.

Julien Dupuy is another key player tomorrow, and the head-to-head with Paul Hodgson will be enthralling. Both players are always on the lookout for half a gap, and both have the quick feet and pace to dance through it.

Hodgson will need to get the better of his opposite number if Irish are to prevail, because the Frenchman has been so influential in recent weeks for the Tigers.

Leicester will be wary of the Irish pack after they demolished Harlequins in the scrum last week. Their lineout strength is also renowned in the Premiership, and the Exiles will pose a significant challenge at the set piece, an area where Leicester usually dominate.

If their pack do get the upper hand, London Irish have their own players capable of controlling the game, not least the ageless warrior Mike Catt.

He and Peter Hewat closed out the game against Quins last week with probing kicking for the corners and flawless distribution to the speed men out wide.

If Irish can establish a lead, then they could keep the Tigers quiet, but if they give penalties away early on like they did last week, Leicester won’t be so kind as to miss every kick at goal as Harlequins did.

If the Tigers start strongly, I expect them to go on and win it, so the first 20 minutes are going to be crucial.

I cannot wait. Enjoy the game and have a great weekend.

This weekend, the Rugby Super League kicks off their postseason, and there are some interesting matches that will kickoff across the country. As usual, when it comes to rugby we are bringing in our favorite rugby experts from Heavens Game to give their thoughts on the Super League playoffs. And if you look closely enough, you may just see something extra in this preview.

This weekend sees the Dallas Harlequins (Blue No. 4) travel to San Francisco to play the top seed from The Red side of the draw, the San Francisco Golden Gate (Red No. 1) at 3pm PST.

San Francisco had been one of the preseason favourites to reach the RSL finals, and this matchup should provide them with the opportunity to progress. Dallas needed to win the final round of the competition against PAC to make the finals, while San Francisco clinched the top spot in the Red Conference and relegated the Chicago Lions to fourth with a 44-20 win over their finals rivals.

You can expect San Francisco to fly half Volney Rouse, who finished as the 2009 Rugby Super League top point scorer with 107 points to improve on that number through this matchup.

Heavensgame caught up with Dumont Walker—from the leading sports opinion site (http://www.walker-sports.net/) to glean his insight on the game.

Walker's thoughts on San Fran,"Golden Gate has been on the cusp of putting it all together for some years now.  With OMBAC experiencing a down year, San Francisco appears ready to make their move."

Walker's thoughts about Dallas on the road, "The Dallas Harlequins typically struggle when traveling, and they looked less than stellar against PAC in their season finale."

Walker's prediction "Look for Golden Gate to roll."

Two scintillating matches were played on Saturday, both ending as comprehensive victories, concealing the stories that had unfolded on the pitch.

The first match of the day saw Leicester Tigers, fresh from their monumental Heineken Cup semi-final victory, taking on the Bath team they had beaten a fortnight before in equally emotional fashion. The safe bet was always on Leicester to carry on their fantastic form but as the match drew closer doubts over who would be the fitter and more motivated of the two sides were starting to creep in.

Those doubts were short lived as Leicester began the match in arguably better form than they had ended their nail-biter against Cardiff with Sam Vesty controlling play far more assuredly than his counterpart Ryan Davis. Leicester looked like they would win the match at a canter going into the break 14 – 0 ahead with the knowledge that one more try would be the knockout blow for Bath.

However it was Bath who emerged fighting after the break and their pressure on the Leicester line told when Claasens timed his pick and go to perfection, just as Ben Woods, the Leicester flanker, had been distracted by the outside men to open up enough of a gap to scoot through. The score went unconverted and Dupuy hit back with a penalty only for Bath to score again through Stuart Hooper who finished an overlap with ease.

Again the score went unconverted and 17 – 10 was as close as Bath were to get as Leicester re-focused and replacement Lewis Moody raced onto a chip from Geordan Murphy to seal the victory, 24 – 10.

Leicester are now in touching distance of another double and should they achieve it questions may be asked as to why the form team of Europe have only one player represented in the Lions squad. Geordan Murphy’s performance in this match was almost perfect except for one fumble receiving a punt downfield whilst running at full pace. Dan Hipkiss and Tom Croft also played some fantastic rugby.

Meeting Leicester in the final will be London Irish who also increased their performance levels from the last few weeks of the regular season in demolishing a desperate Harlequins side. The difference between London Irish and Harlequins manifested itself at the breakdown and at the crucial position of fly-half, where there was a tantalising match up between Mike Catt and Nick Evans.

The first-half was very even and both sides’ nerves became apparent as 5 attempts at goal were missed. Despite the teams’ attempts to attack and score tries the other biggest talking point of the half was a very unfortunate mis-timed collision between Adam Thomstone and Ugo Monye that saw the soon-to-be Lion fall directly on his neck. Luckily he emerged slightly shaken but unscathed and went on to produce a measured display, including what is fast becoming his trademark cover tackle extraordinaire to stop a certain try for Delon Armitage.

In the second-half the brawn and force slowly peeled away and we were left with which side would have the nerve and tactical nous to make the breakthrough and cement a lead. Irish turned to their coach-player Catt and he responded in fine style, ably assisted by the astute kicking of Peter Hewat and the defensive leadership of Delon Armitage, not to mention a pack who had been eating turnover-berries all week.

Time and again, Irish pinned Quins deep in their own 22 and whenever they tried to kick or run it out of defence, Irish would regain possession and keep drilling them deeper and deeper. Eventually the pressure told with Catt collecting the ball on the Quins 22-metre line and picking the onrushing James Hudson to cut a perfect line through the overstretched Quins defence and touchdown under the posts.

The conversion added to an earlier penalty, both by Delon Armitage, resulting in a 10 – 0 lead and Irish didn’t let Quins off the hook. Time was slipping by and with Nick Evans, looking very tired and very injured, eventually being substituted by Lunveniyali, Quins started attacking from anywhere and everywhere.

Unfortunately for the home side, a quick tap penalty deep in their own half was hurled out wide by Andy Gomarsall which the canny Catt picked off for an interception try under the posts. The nail was finally in the coffin and Irish were through.

In the end, it was an unfair comparison between Evans and Catt as it was evident that whilst Catt might have been stiff and tired from being an old man, Evans was only playing at about 60% and wasn’t able to steer the game in Quins’ favour.

If Irish are able to play to a similar level in the final, which will be a big ask given that it’s their first, they could give Leicester an almighty scare.

There’s a brilliant couple of months in store for rugby fans that began last weekend with the Heineken Cup drama, and will finish in July at the end of the Lions tour.

Over the next two weekends, the Guinness Premiership reaches its climax. as four teams remain to battle it out for the trophy.

Leicester vs. Bath, 3pm Saturday

Heineken Cup finalists Leicester face Bath tomorrow at the Walkers Stadium, with the westcountrymen desperate to add another Premiership title to their last triumph in 1996.

The former giants of English rugby have endured a relatively barren spell in the silverware stakes, and have enjoyed success this season by playing an entertaining brand of rugby.

These two teams used to go head-to-head so often at the top of the table, and this season has seen that rivalry brought to life once more with some thrilling matches—none more so than the Tigers’ last-gasp win in the Heineken Cup quarterfinal.

Leicester appear to have the upper hand at the moment, and with Bath missing Butch James and Michael Lipman, two key players, the Tigers are favourites to reach the final. The home side have their own injury concerns, with Toby Flood recently ruled out for six months.

But that means that Leicester’s Players’ Player of the Year, Sam Vesty, will start at fly-half with Aaron Mauger outside him—and many have argued that this is the optimum lineup for them anyway.

Bath will be relying on fatigue and perhaps a lack of focus given the Tigers’ European exploits, but for me, this is clutching at straws to some extent. Rumour has it that nobody needs to fire up the Tigers in their dressing room when Bath are next door. 

They’ll be full of determination, and I believe that will be enough to carry them through.

Harlequins vs. London Irish, 5.30pm Saturday

Later on Saturday, attention will turn to the Stoop—and the London derby between two of this season’s outstanding teams.

Players such as Nick Easter, Nick Kennedy and Delon Armitage may be looking to prove a point about their omission from the Lions squad, and this game should be a cracker.

Quins are marginal favourites going into the game, and after their heroic efforts against Leinster that brought them so close to the semis, the Irish defence will be concerned. With Danny Care and Nick Evans forming a lethal partnership, and the back row in impressive form, they’ll look to take control of the game from the outset.

Irish will be targeting the lineout as one of the key battle areas in an effort to starve Evans of possession. If their pack can gain the upper hand, they can certainly give Quins a run for their money by unleashing Seilala Mapusua and Armitage in the backs.

I’m predicting a Leicester versus Harlequins final next week, but the margins will be tight and the games should be enthralling.

What do you think? Could it be Bath v London Irish?

If the bookies are to be viewed as a trustworthy source, the Leicester Tigers are set to win the ‘double’ of the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup titles.

The Tigers are favourites to win each competition since their incredible victory over Cardiff after a penalty shootout at the Millennium Stadium, and only a brave man would bet against them.

This Saturday, they take on Bath in the Guinness Premiership semi-final, the following weekend is the final, and then the weekend after that is the Heineken Cup final so they are in for a busy few weeks as they strive to achieve what no other club has managed since Wasps in 2004.

The news that fly-half Toby Flood has been ruled out with an Achilles injury appears at first to be a blow to their chances, but the Tigers have arguably been at their best in the last couple of months by starting Sam Vesty at 10 with Aaron Mauger outside him at 12, so they’ll be forced into that lineup now that Flood is out.

The way the Tigers have put their coaching blues behind them after the brief tenure of Marcelo Loffreda and Heyneke Meyer’s early return to South Africa is impressive. Richard Cockerill has taken control to end all discussion of a rudderless ship, and his strong squad of players seem to respond to the former England hooker.

In the Premiership, they should be too strong for Bath who have had mixed results in their last few fixtures, and in my view, neither Harlequins nor London Irish would be capable of an upset at Twickenham in the final.

Having overcome Munster, you could argue that Leinster can beat anyone, with their dogged defence and dominance at the breakdown, but they’ll need to produce another similar performance to clinch the title in Edinburgh having seen Leicester perform so well for 75 minutes in Cardiff last week and it may well be one game too far. The back row battle will be fascinating to watch in the final, given that both had the upper hand over their respective semi-final opponents, but my money is on Leicester.

Leicester to win the double? What do you think?

This is one of my favourite weekends in the rugby, and the entire sporting, calendar: the Heineken Cup semi-finals, as a long European season boils down to one opportunity to play for the top prize.

All those away trips to far-flung places on cold winter nights, the pain, the injuries, the surprising victories, the desperate defeats - from all of that, just four teams remain, but lose in the semi-final stage and no-one will remember that you had a good season in the Heineken Cup.

Qualify for the final, and you’ll play on the big stage and will last longer in the memory even if you are the runner-up. Many players have said that defeat at the semi-final stage is the worst way to go out, and Munster, Leinster, Cardiff and Leicester will be desperate to make that final.

Munster v Leinster, Saturday, 5.30pm

The Dubliners face the unenvious task of a winner-takes-all showdown with Munster, the in-form team, reigning European Champions and hot favourites to lift the title (Leinster are available at 4.4 on Betfair to win this match).

It’s difficult to see anything but a Munster win following their impressive showing against the Ospreys, and although the game is at the fairly neutral venue of Croke Park, Leinster will need to conjure some magic to proceed to the final in Edinburgh.

The underdogs will be somewhat encouraged by their heroic defensive efforts at the Stoop in the quarter-finals, where they denied Harlequins from crossing their line for so long to emerge one-point victors.

Munster offer a different threat though, and I predict that they’ll continue their unrelenting march to the final in Edinburgh.

Cardiff Blues v Leicester, Sunday, 15:00

Cardiff Blues also go into their semi-final off the back of a big win over a top team, after their thrashing of Gloucester to win the EDF Energy Cup. The Welsh outfit have arguably been the team of the Heineken Cup this season, and they continue to overshadow The Ospreys as the most successful welsh region.

This game has the makings of a classic, with Leicester also performing impressively over the last month or so. They go into the game as slight underdogs, and the Millennium Stadium is by no means a welcoming venue for an English side.

My money is on Cardiff (1.79 on Betfair) to make it an all-Magners League final, and just to ensure that half of the Lions touring party are playing a huge fixture the day before they leave!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the games.