Harlequins v Gloucester (Sat)

[An Tarbh]

<div align="center">Harlequins v Gloucester (Sat)

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Date: Saturday, 1 March
Kick-off: 1445 GMT
Venue: The Stoop
Coverage: Sky Sports 2, Listen live on the BBC Sport website

Harlequins make two changes to the side that won away at Saracens last weekend.

In the forwards, England number 8 Nick Easter replaces the injured Tom Guest while scrum-half Andy Gomarsall takes his a spot on the bench.

England winger Lesley Vainikolo and full-back Iain Balshaw return from Six Nations duty for Gloucester.

Alasdair Strokosch also returns from Six Nations duty with Scotland with Chris Paterson on the bench while Akapusi Qera replaces Andy Hazell.

Harlequins: Mike Brown, Tom Williams, Haldane Luscombe, Tosh Masson, Ugo Monye, Adrian Jarvis, Danny Care, Ceri Jones, Tani Fuga, Mike Ross, James Percival, Nicolas Spanghero, Chris Robshaw, Will Skinner, Nick Easter.
Replacements: Chris Brooker, John Brooks, George Robson, Chris Hala'ufia, Andy Gomarsall, Chris Malone, De Wet Barry.

Gloucester: Iain Balshaw; James Simpson-Daniel, Jack Adams, Anthony Allen, Lesley Vainikolo; Willie Walker, Rory Lawson; Nick Wood, Olivier Azam, Carlos Nieto, Peter Buxton (capt), Alex Brown, Alasdair Strokosch, Akapusi Qera, Luke Narraway.
Replacements: Andy ***terrell; Alasdair Dickinson, Marco Bortolami, Gareth Delve, Gareth Cooper, Chris Paterson, Mark Foster.

From: BBC Sport

 

[danny]

Interesting to see if Glosters returning stars will front up this time after the debacle of Bristol away.

 

[Vambo]

I'm gonna go for a home win h34r: :unsure:

 

[Vambo]

17 - 20 HT

Excellent first 40 B)

 

[An Tarbh]

Harlequins 30-25 Gloucester

Harlequins (17) 30
Try: Jones, Brown, Robson
Pens: Jarvis (3)
Cons: Jarvis, Malone

Gloucester (20) 25
Try: Adams, Balshaw, Allen, Simpson-Daniel
Pens: Walker
Cons: Walker

George Robson's late try gave Harlequins victory over league leaders Gloucester at the Twickenham Stoop.

Tries by Jake Adams, Iain Balshaw and Anthony Allen gave Gloucester the edge at half-time, with Ceri Jones and Mike Brown going over for the home side.

After the restart James Simpson-Daniel scored in the corner but poor kicking by Willie Walker kept Quins in touch.

Adrian Jarvis closed the gap to two points and Quins' persistence was rewarded when Robson dived over.

Harlequins enjoyed the best of the early possession, with Hal Luscombe going close, only to be denied by a superbly timed Leslie Vainikolo tackle just five yards short of the line.

When the first score came it was for the visitors, as Adams charged down Jarvis's attempted cross-field kick to Ugo Monye, and ran the length of the field to score.

Quins made amends straight from the kick-off, as Monye was first to the ball and when he was grounded just short of the line, the forwards followed up and Jones scored a scruffy pushover try.

Every time the ball went near Vainikolo the visitors looked threatening, and it was no surprise when he was involved in their next scoring move, but it was Peter Buxton who provided the vital touches to set up Balshaw.

Buxton began the move, passing to Vainikolo who tore clear up the left wing, only to be hauled down 10 yards short of the line.

He had the presence of mind to off-load to Buxton, whose instant pass found Balshaw and set him up to score their second try.

A burst of speed by Simpson-Daniel then put Allen over for Gloucester's third, but Danny Care pulled the visiting defence open, allowing Brown to score with the final play of the first half.

The teams struggled to match the tempo of the first half when the game restarted, but after 10 minutes a burst of pace from Simpson-Daniel stretched Gloucester's lead.

Walker's kicking had been unreliable all day, however, and when he missed the conversion, that gave Quins fresh hope and they responded with a period of sustained pressure.

With 10 minutes to go a Jarvis penalty closed the gap to five points and Quins' sustained pressure earned its reward when Robson dived over to score.

Harlequins: Brown, Williams, Luscombe, Masson, Monye, Jarvis, Care, Jones, Fuga, Ross, Percival, Spanghero, Robshaw, Skinner, Easter. Replacements: Brooker, Brooks, Robson, Hala'ufia, Gomarsall, Malone, Barry.

Gloucester: Balshaw, Simpson-Daniel, Adams, Allen, Vainikolo, Walker, Lawson, Wood, Azam, Nieto, Buxton, Brown, Strokosch, Qera, Narraway. Replacements: ***terrell, Dickinson, Bortolami, Delve, Cooper, Paterson, Foster.

Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

From: BBC Sport

 

[danny]

Once again we have played a game where we have survived off scraps of posession . Until Ryan sorts out our lineout and our ability at the break down we will never win anything. The way I see it the only way these things can be sorted out is by a change of hookers and line out coach(Ryan?????) and a complete re-think on how we play the game . Its all very well running every ball we get,which isnt a lot but eventually we run out of support at the breakdown and turn over posession. We are lucky to have some of the most dangerous broken field runners in the game but unless we can win and retain the ball we are on a hiding to nothing. In our credit JSD,Vainikolo,Allen and Nieto were superb today but at the moment its about the collective rather than the individuals for me at the moment . Until we are able to control posession and win our lineouts this is going to be another barren season for The Cherry and Whites.
On Quins side Mike Brown at full back had a stormer and Easter just gets better and better with time.
Overall if you aint got the ball you aint gonna win. :cryy:

 

[Vambo]

Very good game for the neutral to watch. Is that 3 wins on the bounce now for Quins?

 

[nick_w]

yeah, worcester, sarries and glos.

Only a point behind sale now, so there may still be a good chance for a play off place!

Typical quins, average 1st half of the season, then we pick up in february. luckily we're not picking ourselves up off the foot of the table this time.

Wasps away next.

 

[Vambo]

Wasps away next.
[/b]

Unlucky

 

[Hieu]

Gloucester's poor run continues and as danny said, we're having just scraps of possession. Maybe the 6 nations is interfering the league campaign (as always) but no-one can use that excuse...

Personally I think we're going to finish 3rd-5th with Leicester winning the ***le again. Hopefully if form recovers we might get our ***le race back started but I was absolutely heartbroken when the quins stole it...

 

[nick_w]

<div class='quotemain'>
Wasps away next.
[/b]

Unlucky
[/b][/quote]

I don't know, Wasps homes record is solid, but quins have won the last 3 games away from home.

Always did like going to see Quins v Wasps- both at the Stoop and Loftus Road (before you guys moved to Adams Park). Can't wait for this one.

 

[David]

Balshaw :lol:

Brown (with Abendanon) is the best fullback in England.

 

[Col]

If Glos had played Paterson they'd have won this, Walkers kicking cost them the game.