Harlequins vs Gloucester- Saturday at the Stoop at 5.15 pm

Quins have announced their team:

"Harlequins have named the team that will play Gloucester Rugby in round 8 of the Aviva Premiership at the Twickenham Stoop tomorrow evening, kick-off 5.15pm.
With three players being released back to the club from the England squad, Mike Brown starts at full-back while George Robson takes his usual place in the second row.

Jordan Turner-Hall has also been released and following consultation with the England management, the centre will undergo a rehabilitation and conditioning programme to allow his knee to settle further, as a result Tom Casson continues at inside centre with Matt Hopper outside him.

Sam Smith replaces Ugo Monye on the wing, while Nick Evans, who signed a new three year contract with the club this week, returns from injury to join Karl Dickson in the half backs.

Mark Lambert starts at loose head prop while Joe Gray returns from injury to start at hooker. Luke Wallace comes into the back row with Maurie Fa'asavalu and captain, Nick Easter.

Among the replacements, Academy scrum-half Jordan Burns will look to make his first senior appearance.

Harlequins Team
15. Mike Brown
14. Tom Williams
13. Matt Hopper
12. Tom Casson
11. Sam Smith
10. Nick Evans
9. Karl Dickson

1. Mark Lambert
2. Joe Gray
3. James Johnston
4. Olly Kohn
5. George Robson
6. MaurieFa'asavalu
7. Luke Wallace
8. Nick Easter (C)

16. Rob Buchanan
17. Darryl Marfo
18. Will Collier
19. Charlie Matthews
20. Tom Guest
21. Jordan Burns
22. Ben Botica
23. Seb Stegmann"

as have Gloucester:

Gloucester Rugby:

Martyn Thomas; Shane Monahan, Mike Tindall (capt), Billy Twelvetrees, James Simpson-Daniel; Freddie Burns, Jimmy Cowan; Dan Murphy, Huia Edmonds, Rupert Harden; Tom Savage, Will James; Matt Cox, Akapusi Qera, Ben Morgan

Replacements:

Tommaso d'Apice, Nick Wood, Dario Chistolini, Peter Buxton, Gareth Evans, Dan Robson, Tim Molenaar, Rob Cook

I can't wait for what should be a good match full of attacking rugby and English talent

That's also a stronger Quins team than I was expecting. I would like to see Jordan Burns at this level, he has been tearing up the A league and is a huge attacking threat. Good to see Wallace starting but I'd have liked to have had OLH on the bench to cover FB if Brown has been picking up a couple of knocks recently.

Good team from Glaws too, very nice backline and I'm keeping my eye on Harden who has the advantage of not facing Marler. Key clashes will be Morgan vs his predecessor Easter who is the form 8 in the league, Burns vs the newly re-signed Nev, and Tinds vs Hopper who can be a liability in defence.

Why, oh, why did Nick Evans have to come back for this game? He always has a good game against us

Some interesting selections by Glaws, most due to injury. Shaun Knight must be injured as I would have had him down to start over Harden this week. Unfortunately Super Dario has not proved to be the signing we hoped he would and I can see Harden having to put a real shift in. I fully expect Quins to have the upper hand at the lineout as Cox is our main operator with Big Jim out.

Coming into November I would have laughed and ridiculed you had you said we would be unbeaten away. This is without doubt our toughest away game so far and I do feel it will be very difficult to continue this run. Under Nigel Davies we do have a bit of grit and determination to our play, but I think we going to struggle to win this. If we can get a LBP I will be satisfied.

Would've been happier with Wood and Cook starting but no major complaints. Nick Evans?! How did he get fit so quickly? This is the first away Quins match I can actually see us winning but would also be happy with a LBP.

How do you see the score, I would go for Quins by 6 points

I'm saying Quins by 4, we've not been playing our best the last couple of games but we seem to be finding the win anyway

I've gone Quins by 7 on SuperBru as much as it pains me to say it!

Glos do not do well at the Stoop in recent seasons.
Although we have good general form in AP games so far this season.
I'm with HKC, if we get within 7, it might feel like a good result at the Stoop.

Glaws have got to target the centres with JTH and Lowe both out

ChequeredJersey wrote:Glaws have got to target the centres with JTH and Lowe both out

But your replacements are hardly shabby. I'm a huge fan of Casson's and I'm surprised he hasn't appeared in the first team more. And Hopper is a wily little so and so!!

Centre:
So HRH and Billy36 - yes pretty strong direct style in the Glos centre paring.
Then bring in the wing boys: Gloucester Express Sharples and Dancing Sinbad to tear through the gaps . Morgan, Kalamafoni & Burns will be a handful too up the middle. Quins back row will also have something to say, so Glos will want some broken field to exploit. Our best chance in a while to at least go close at the Stoop.

gregortree wrote:Centre:
So HRH and Billy36 - yes pretty strong direct style in the Glos centre paring.
Then bring in the wing boys: Gloucester Express Sharples and Dancing Sinbad to tear through the gaps . Morgan, Kalamafoni & Burns will be a handful too up the middle. Quins back row will also have something to say, so Glos will want some broken field to exploit. Our best chance in a while to at least go close at the Stoop.

Sharples is with England

ChequeredJersey wrote:

gregortree wrote:Centre:
So HRH and Billy36 - yes pretty strong direct style in the Glos centre paring.
Then bring in the wing boys: Gloucester Express Sharples and Dancing Sinbad to tear through the gaps . Morgan, Kalamafoni & Burns will be a handful too up the middle. Quins back row will also have something to say, so Glos will want some broken field to exploit. Our best chance in a while to at least go close at the Stoop.

Sharples is with England

And Kalamafoni is injured.

English, CQ, thanks, I stand corrected, it will be Monahan. Shame about K too.

I actually think Monahan is in better form than Sharples anyway. Hard runner, almost Cohen-esque.

'Tis a shame about K, but Saturday was a brutal one.

EnglishReign wrote:I actually think Monahan is in better form than Sharples anyway. Hard runner, almost Cohen-esque.

'Tis a shame about K, but Saturday was a brutal one.

Here's to no injuries to either side this match

Real shame about K, hopefully his injury isn't too bad. It may go some way to explain why Morgan has come back

ChequeredJersey wrote:

EnglishReign wrote:I actually think Monahan is in better form than Sharples anyway. Hard runner, almost Cohen-esque.

'Tis a shame about K, but Saturday was a brutal one.

Here's to no injuries to either side this match

+1

Woooooo Wallace starting!!!! Expecting him to get Cowan and that Gloucester ruck going as slow as Mike Phillips playing for Wales.

Seeing the strength of that team has made my day (yes it's been that bad so far!)

It's great to see future talents like Marfo, Wallace, Casson, Smith and Burns all getting game time for the first team in a truly meaningful match.

I'm quietly optamistic of a Quins win, by three. Hopefully with a bit less stress then last weeks game though

Glos doing well, H25-18G so far

C'mon Glos, oh another knock on

Morgan back, Robson & Bucko, on. but maybe a bit too late now.

Now a scrum pen, Harnden binding, 3 points, 6 mins to go. 28-18.

Morgan back, but now binned, Quins taking the scrum, with Morgan off.

7 man, scrum gone to pieces now, so PT coming for Quins scrum?

Pen to Glos !

Counter attack,multiphase 5 meters, Billy 36 scores

28 25

Well done the Glos 14 men

Enjoyed this but I think Wayne Barnes and his team have been dire.
Glos can't do anything right in there eyes and have been refer differently to Quinn's in the most areas

Yeah, few questionable decisions but Quins deserved to win. Delighted with the LBP in the end! Great spirit.

How the Poopie did Barnes manage to ping us at the death there?! Multiple pens and free kicks against glos and he bottles it. Man is a total flip

Feeling guilty maybe?

Could only watch 10 mins, Barnes ruined it for me as a neutral. Scrums were going down and refused to officiate them, the breakdown was a complete lottery. I was quite looking forward to it.

Delighted by the spirit shown by Glaws, this was another game we'd have lost comfortably last year. Quins were the better side and deserved the win but we were royally shafted by Mr Barnes. Totally agree with Sam he failed to take control and both sides suffered for it.

Bit disappointed we didnt get the BP, thought we deserved it with the intent to attack all day and the penalty against us at the end in the scrum has convinced me Barnes doesn't actually know what a scrum is and is getting very confused at people trying to hook the ball with their feet in the giant rucks. However, glad with the win, well done to Glos on the LBP and to Burns who MUST play for England in the 6N. Easter was immense, I can see no real flaws in Brown's game (he showed in one attack today that he has serious gas now and he is a rock under the high ball and in defence). Great to have Nev back and well played without some key men. Bit fighty at points though.

Really enjoyed watching but I'm not a fan of the new songs playing when there's a card or that a couple of tossers in the stands booed Glos players going off at one point. Some nasty tackles need looking at.
Barnes was poor. Cheerleaders were fit. Kiddie rugby in the break was great to watch first.

Saw the second half on TV after a reamarkably clean journey home from WR. I guess most of the excitement was in the first?

Quins seemed to lack composure when in attack and gifted Glaws the LBP. It may have been tiredness but I was ok with the refs performance.

It was in the first half when I gave up watching LT maybe Barnes improved.

All the best rugby was def in the first half LT. Second half Quins spent far too long chasing the TBP and ended up shooting themselves in the foot for it.

Hats off to Glos for a very gritty defensive performance.

Quins players that filled in for the injured/internationals all seemed to go well. I was impressed with Wallace and Casson in particular, only Dickson seemed to struggle a bit he lacked a lot of control at times.

Either way a decent win for Quins - just annoyed about that late try as I had Quins by 10 on SB.

After the talk about Lambert last month, I thought he did pretty well and did not look out of place.

yappysnap wrote:only Dickson seemed to struggle a bit he lacked a lot of control at times.

I thought he was quite good myself yappy, got the back line moving as fast as Care when he could, but with a little ring rust he was a slightly lacking in control when the ball was loose or being contested. All round though he did alright, caught Glaws napping a few times with fast pens.

Agree completely with you about the boo'ing morons. I heard a few of them at it when 36 got the LBP try and a lot of the season ticket guys (who end up chatting routinley now seeing as we're in R8 ) were quite perplexed. That is no way for 'hosts' to behave and was a let down to see at the Stoop.

Barnes reffing for both side was a bit odd to say the least, scrums going down and he let it go, balls being sealed off, no pinging ... the list goes on, and i'm not usually one to jump on the wayne barnes hate wagon.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Bit disappointed we didnt get the BP, thought we deserved it with the intent to attack all day and the penalty against us at the end in the scrum has convinced me Barnes doesn't actually know what a scrum is and is getting very confused at people trying to hook the ball with their feet in the giant rucks. However, glad with the win, well done to Glos on the LBP and to Burns who MUST play for England in the 6N. Easter was immense, I can see no real flaws in Brown's game (he showed in one attack today that he has serious gas now and he is a rock under the high ball and in defence). Great to have Nev back and well played without some key men. Bit fighty at points though.

Really enjoyed watching but I'm not a fan of the new songs playing when there's a card or that a couple of tossers in the stands booed Glos players going off at one point. Some nasty tackles need looking at.
Barnes was poor. Cheerleaders were fit. Kiddie rugby in the break was great to watch first.

I haven't seen it all yet but I thought Morgan was noticeably better.

Does anyone else think Cowan was absolutely awful? In the games I've seen him he's ponderous, his pass is very average both in accuracy and speed and he seems to make poor choices.

People have praised his professionalism and what Robson and others can learn from him, but i think he's a vastly overrated player. Normally i'm pretty deferential to ABs, but i can't fathom how he ever played for them!

Hood83 wrote:Does anyone else think Cowan was absolutely awful? In the games I've seen him he's ponderous, his pass is very average both in accuracy and speed and he seems to make poor choices.

People have praised his professionalism and what Robson and others can learn from him, but i think he's a vastly overrated player. Normally i'm pretty deferential to ABs, but i can't fathom how he ever played for them!

He's certainly an unpleasant little so-and-so. Not impressed by the trip on Brown at all.

Hood83 wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Bit disappointed we didnt get the BP, thought we deserved it with the intent to attack all day and the penalty against us at the end in the scrum has convinced me Barnes doesn't actually know what a scrum is and is getting very confused at people trying to hook the ball with their feet in the giant rucks. However, glad with the win, well done to Glos on the LBP and to Burns who MUST play for England in the 6N. Easter was immense, I can see no real flaws in Brown's game (he showed in one attack today that he has serious gas now and he is a rock under the high ball and in defence). Great to have Nev back and well played without some key men. Bit fighty at points though.

Really enjoyed watching but I'm not a fan of the new songs playing when there's a card or that a couple of tossers in the stands booed Glos players going off at one point. Some nasty tackles need looking at.
Barnes was poor. Cheerleaders were fit. Kiddie rugby in the break was great to watch first.

I haven't seen it all yet but I thought Morgan was noticeably better.

Well I didn't have the best view, but I only noticed Morgan when he was getting injured and getting carded for cheating.

Well, I simply love Jimmy at the moment. Him and Twelvetrees are really playing with tremendous spirit, though they might need to calm it down on occasions!

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Bit disappointed we didnt get the BP, thought we deserved it with the intent to attack all day and the penalty against us at the end in the scrum has convinced me Barnes doesn't actually know what a scrum is and is getting very confused at people trying to hook the ball with their feet in the giant rucks. However, glad with the win, well done to Glos on the LBP and to Burns who MUST play for England in the 6N. Easter was immense, I can see no real flaws in Brown's game (he showed in one attack today that he has serious gas now and he is a rock under the high ball and in defence). Great to have Nev back and well played without some key men. Bit fighty at points though.

Really enjoyed watching but I'm not a fan of the new songs playing when there's a card or that a couple of tossers in the stands booed Glos players going off at one point. Some nasty tackles need looking at.
Barnes was poor. Cheerleaders were fit. Kiddie rugby in the break was great to watch first.

I haven't seen it all yet but I thought Morgan was noticeably better.

Well I didn't have the best view, but I only noticed Morgan when he was getting injured and getting carded for cheating.

Ha, might be more accurate. He looked good first half, stopped Easter on the gainline (with the help of Savage admittedly) cleared out well, made one good surge (but offloaded poorly). I thought he looked more prominent than Easter but maybe he faded a lot. Plus ca change.

Easter was better yesterday, but Morgan outplayed Waldrom last week and let's be honest, it's between those two.

Yeah, Easter is more likely to play Lions than England and he's not that likely to play Lions!

If we look at a squad from this match who could be sting fir England against Giji but look like they won't-

Brown
JSD
Hopper
Twelvetrees
Williams
Burns
Dickson
Easter/Morgan
Wallace
Savage
Robson
Kohn
Harden
Gray
Wood

That's a reasonably competitive 15