Harlequins 21/22 Season

It was asked on the Gallagher Prem Round 4 board - How will Quins fair if/when we loose our internationals.
And after Fridays game, that can only have raised the stock of guys like Marcus and Dombrandt. Not to mention Marchant, Lynagh, Marler.
Eusterhezen and Lowe may also be with SA in November.
Scot Steele and Huw Jones may be with Scotland

So assuming those guys are unavailable what does out squad look like?

Garcia Botta
Jack Walker
Will Collier
Matt Symonds
Stephen Lewies
Archie White
Luke Wallace
Lawday
Care
Tommy Allan
Caden Murley
Lasike (if back from injury in time)
Northmore
Aron Morris/Ross Chisholm - cant choose between them
Tyrone Green

Bench
Fin Baxter/Kerrod (TH)
Sam Riley/Joe Grey
Jordan Els (LH)
Dino Lamb
James Chisholm (could easily be starting - but has great impact off the bench)
Who is our 3rd pick no.9? Stafford or Gjaltema
Who could come in to cover 10 and 12/13?
Nick David (covers back 3)

The squad is pretty stretched if all the internationals get called up, same as many Prem sides.
But there is a core of pretty experienced guys in there with some of the youngsters to add a bit of magic.
Back Row and 12/13 seem a little light on options along with cover at 10 if Allen gets an injury.

What's your thoughts Quins Supporters or non-Quins supporters?

It looks as if Baxter is overtaking Garcia Botta as the backup LH, and Dino Lamb has finally grown into his frame. We'd also hope to have Will Evans and Lasike back before the 6N if not for the AIs.

So you could see a squad that looks like:

Baxter Walker Collier
Symonds Lewies
Lamb Chisholm Evans
Care Allan
Lasike Northmore
Murley Green Morris

And ideally a bench of:
Els Riley Kerrod
Tizard Wallace
Gjaltema Edwards David

Will Edwards covers FH - and so, technically, does Tyrone Green. Lennox Anyanwu looks like he has good potential in the centres and if we need a back three player (not that Quins are short of them) Cassius Cleaves seems to be very, very quick.

Worst case scenario we could be down 10 players - all of whom played a part in last season's run (Marler, Louw, Kenningham, Dombrandt, Steele, Smith, Esterhuizen, Marchant, Lynagh) apart from Jones. Of those, Jones and Esterhuizen seem the most likely not to be called up, and there's a chance that Louw, Kenningham and Lynagh might not make all the matchday squads. But with Eddie, who knows?


The big danger for Quins is simply losing shape because we're affected in so many positions and have to field unfamiliar combinations. The coaching staff seem to be preparing for that with how they're using substitutes, but it's a big adaptation to have to make. That said, when Quins lost Evans to injury and Esterhuizen and Brown to bans at the end of last season, I worried about how they would cope. Turns out that Kenningham, Green and Lynagh were up to the task and after a bit of less than successful playing around with combinations of Lang, Northmore and Marchant the obvious option of Ben Tapuai (wish we'd hung on to him - though our centre resources are now pretty good) turned out to be the right one.

Do you think that Gjaltema is ahead of Stafford? I havent seen much of either.
I agree that Finn looks to be moving ahead of Botta, who hasnt looked great to me for some time now but came in with a solid reputation.

We are also lacking that utility back option that Lang had previously given us.
Northmore has shown a bit of variety as well as Marchant in moving to the wing when necessary.
I know Kenningham is in the training squad, but I would be surprised if he makes the AI playing squad.
Do we have any idea when that is announced?

England squad announcement is late this week or early next I think.

Botta may be carrying an injury - on the other side of the scrum Collier looked a bit meh for several years but now seems back to form and fitness. But Baxter looks hugely promising.

I think Eddie might surprise you over Kenningham. He ticks a lot of Eddie's boxes - fast, huge work rate, tackles, jackals, carries and an option in the lineout. I was surprised he got called up over the summer but only at how early it happened. It was about this time last cycle that the Currys came into contention, and I could see Kenningham being used as a bench option for his versatility.

I picked Gjaltema purely on the basis that he had more game time in the warm ups than Stafford - but either of them could be in contention.

I think Quins have a decent number of backs who can play multiple positions, but no-one who covers 10-12-13 like Lang. That said, I don't think Lang at 12 ever worked particularly well - for our style of play I'd rather have a specialist crashball 12 and have the flex in back three and OC

Tuesday next week for the England squad I believe.

Poorfour wrote:England squad announcement is late this week or early next I think.

Botta may be carrying an injury - on the other side of the scrum Collier looked a bit meh for several years but now seems back to form and fitness. But Baxter looks hugely promising.

I think Eddie might surprise you over Kenningham. He ticks a lot of Eddie's boxes - fast, huge work rate, tackles, jackals, carries and an option in the lineout. I was surprised he got called up over the summer but only at how early it happened. It was about this time last cycle that the Currys came into contention, and I could see Kenningham being used as a bench option for his versatility.

I picked Gjaltema purely on the basis that he had more game time in the warm ups than Stafford - but either of them could be in contention.

I think Quins have a decent number of backs who can play multiple positions, but no-one who covers 10-12-13 like Lang. That said, I don't think Lang at 12 ever worked particularly well - for our style of play I'd rather have a specialist crashball 12 and have the flex in back three and OC

Collier was the same for a while there - picked up an injury, then sat behind Sinks for a long time struggling to get game time and then form.
I would love to see Kenningham get a run - back row is such a competative area with so much young talent in there. The Willis boys, Earl, Barbeary, Tom/Ben Curry, Ludlam and Ludlow etc. (not young but Sam Simmons)

Will be interesting to see if Eddie leaves any fringe picks down to the next round of games to make the final call.

propdavid_london wrote:

Poorfour wrote:England squad announcement is late this week or early next I think.

Botta may be carrying an injury - on the other side of the scrum Collier looked a bit meh for several years but now seems back to form and fitness. But Baxter looks hugely promising.

I think Eddie might surprise you over Kenningham. He ticks a lot of Eddie's boxes - fast, huge work rate, tackles, jackals, carries and an option in the lineout. I was surprised he got called up over the summer but only at how early it happened. It was about this time last cycle that the Currys came into contention, and I could see Kenningham being used as a bench option for his versatility.

I picked Gjaltema purely on the basis that he had more game time in the warm ups than Stafford - but either of them could be in contention.

I think Quins have a decent number of backs who can play multiple positions, but no-one who covers 10-12-13 like Lang. That said, I don't think Lang at 12 ever worked particularly well - for our style of play I'd rather have a specialist crashball 12 and have the flex in back three and OC

Collier was the same for a while there - picked up an injury, then sat behind Sinks for a long time struggling to get game time and then form.
I would love to see Kenningham get a run - back row is such a competative area with so much young talent in there.  The Willis boys, Earl, Barbeary, Tom/Ben Curry, Ludlam and Ludlow etc. (not young but Sam Simmons)

Will be interesting to see if Eddie leaves any fringe picks down to the next round of games to make the final call.

I don't think Ludlow should be on that list but yes its good times, and some very good players won't get a look in.

[/quote]I don't think Ludlow should be on that list but yes its good times, and some very good players won't get a look in.[/quote]
Agree, but I included him as Eddie had him captaining those summer fixtures.
I am sure that I am missing plenty of other decent youngsters too - Its a shame the two 'turnover' masters from previous season Jack Willis and Will Evans are both coming back from long term injury.

It's worth noting that the Premiership Cup returns this year and so two of the AI fixtures clash with that and not the league.  There's a other two during the 6N as well. Might be a bit of respite for Quins if call ups do hit them hard. Send out a development squad for the cup games.

formerly known as Sam wrote:It's worth noting that the Premiership Cup returns this year and so two of the AI fixtures clash with that and not the league.  There's a other two during the 6N as well. Might be a bit of respite for Quins if call ups do hit them hard. Send out a development squad for the cup games.

Good point Sam - and a great way to ensure the squad and academy players get game time that might stand them in good stead later in the season

Poorfour wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:It's worth noting that the Premiership Cup returns this year and so two of the AI fixtures clash with that and not the league.  There's a other two during the 6N as well. Might be a bit of respite for Quins if call ups do hit them hard. Send out a development squad for the cup games.

Good point Sam - and a great way to ensure the squad and academy players get game time that might stand them in good stead later in the season

Tigers have a good selection getting experience in the Championship and below who will probably come back in to play for the Cup. I assume that Quins will be in a similar position. Should give a lot of younger guys further development opportunities. Hopefully there's not that one side that decide to be awkward and take it seriously sending out the first team, I'm looking at you Worcester.