Quins vs Castres - Friday night

[Puja]

Harlequins: David; Lynagh, Jones, Esterhuizen, Murley; Allan, Steele; Marler, Musk, Kerrod, Lamb, Tizard, Taulani, Wallace, Dombrandt (capt)

Replacements: Riley, Garcia Botta, Wilson, Hammond, White, Gjaltema, Smith, Marchant

Castres: Larregain; Zeghdar, Aguillon, Cocagi, Nakosi; Botica, Kockott; Tichit, Barlot, Guillamon, Vanverberghe, Whetton, Champion de Crespigny, Kafatolu, Kornath

Replacements: Ngauamo, Nostadt, Tierney, Hannoyer, Raisuqe, Fernandez, Le Brun, Botitu

Referee: Ref: Mike Adamson (Scotland)

[Puja]

Quins doing some heavy rotating since they've already secured a home knock-out game. No idea whether Castres have done the same in the tradition of French sides throwing in the towel in away games in the last round of the ERC - comparing to the team that played Quins at home, there are only 8 of the same starting lineup, but I don't know the Top 14 enough to know how big of an issue that is.

Wasps would've preferred Quins to put out their first XV, I think. They are in the last qualification position for the knock-outs and are playing Munster, so could do with Castres, Stade, Scarlets and Cardiff all losing.

Pleased to see Nick David getting a run out for Quins. He's not had many opportunities since moving, but I do like him as a player.

Puja

[Danno]

Pleased Allan is back. Italy have left him out of their squad so hopefully he will cover well in Smith's absence

[Peej]

Allan seems very fragile, unfortunately.

[Danno]

Aye, although his most recemt absence was a horizontal Koch clearout special. Not many players would walk that off

[Scrumhead]

It was actually a dislocated shoulder he picked up in his comeback game after the Koch cheap shot.

I don’t think he is that fragile. More unlucky. He’s had two concussion-related absences (the second one was from Koch) and the shoulder injury which were both picked up trying to make tackles. The technique wasn’t even that bad - it was just an unfortunate knee or a hip to the head.

Hopefully he’s over those as he’s looked very good when he’s been fit.

Quins doing some heavy rotating since they've already secured a home knock-out game. No idea whether Castres have done the same in the tradition of French sides throwing in the towel in away games in the last round of the ERC - comparing to the team that played Quins at home, there are only 8 of the same starting lineup, but I don't know the Top 14 enough to know how big of an issue that is.

Pleased to see Nick David getting a run out for Quins. He's not had many opportunities since moving, but I do like him as a player.

Puja

Last 16 is assured, but I don’t think we’ve secured a home game yet. Probably need a win and maybe a BP for that.

The Castres side is closer to their first choice and has a couple of players recently called up to the French squad in it.

Agreed re. Nick David. Also Green needed a rest after a couple of poor performances.

[Puja]

It was actually a dislocated shoulder he picked up in his comeback game after the Koch cheap shot.

I don’t think he is that fragile. More unlucky. He’s had two concussion-related absences (the second one was from Koch) and the shoulder injury which were both picked up trying to make tackles. The technique wasn’t even that bad - it was just an unfortunate knee or a hip to the head.

Hopefully he’s over those as he’s looked very good when he’s been fit.

Quins doing some heavy rotating since they've already secured a home knock-out game. No idea whether Castres have done the same in the tradition of French sides throwing in the towel in away games in the last round of the ERC - comparing to the team that played Quins at home, there are only 8 of the same starting lineup, but I don't know the Top 14 enough to know how big of an issue that is.

Pleased to see Nick David getting a run out for Quins. He's not had many opportunities since moving, but I do like him as a player.

Puja

Last 16 is assured, but I don’t think we’ve secured a home game yet. Probably need a win and maybe a BP for that.

The Castres side is closer to their first choice and has a couple of players recently called up to the French squad in it.

Agreed re. Nick David. Also Green needed a rest after a couple of poor performances.

Isn't it top 4 for a home game?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Worsley both looking and even sounding (!) a bit French.

[Magic_sponge]

Can you just imagine being that Castres defender there with Esterhuizen bearing down on your ribs like that! One of those games i can't believe the score is as close as it is after that start.

David looks good. Agree with earlier point about giving green a rest and David a try.

[FKAS]

Ouch. Juggling the ball above your head as Big Andre gets a run up to smash your ribs.

[FKAS]

Naughty little stamp by Marler there. Unnecessary and now 10 mins in the bin.

[Magic_sponge]

This is a great game! Not quality-wise, but fun. Helps that I don't really care, I keep just thinking it's not premiership.

[Danno]

Listening to it on the Beeb is really painful

[Magic_sponge]

I don't rate Huw Jones at all. They've just said he's had a good game but I don't see it. A nice spin out of a tackle and a try, but his passing has been poor. And he gets turned over a lot, maybe not this game but in general.

Also tizzard has never really impressed, was surprised sarries signed him to be honest.

[Magic_sponge]

Also not sure Smith has actually passed the ball backwards yet

[FKAS]

Terrible call by the TMO, there's no angle there that shows the ball on the line.

[Magic_sponge]

That...was never a try. I say that as a Quinns fan.

[Mikey Brown]

Ooof. Robbed tbh. I think that try decision was too close to call without a higher angle, but we needed some dodgy decisions to get that close.

We've played poorly and clawed it back in previous weeks but Quins owe a huge amount to Adamson tonight.

Yeah not sure what the commentators were on about with Jones either. He is certainly talented, but turned over (or wrongly awarded the pen) several times again.

[Cameo]

Ooof. Robbed tbh. I think that try decision was too close to call without a higher angle, but we needed some dodgy decisions to get that close.

We've played poorly and clawed it back in previous weeks but Quins owe a huge amount to Adamson tonight.

Yeah not sure what the commentators were on about with Jones either. He is certainly talented, but turned over (or wrongly awarded the pen) several times again.

I think you saw a few little glimmers with Jones where he hit a line or beat a tackler,and he's certainly trying hard, but he still looks short on confidence and like he hasn't quite worked out how he fits in the attack yet. Hopefully a few games in a row and he'll properly click. Didn't think he was bad today.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah there were glimpses of what he could do, I’m hoping with a few games in a row it will start to click but it feels like a long time now it’s been hope more than performance keeping him in the 23.

[Timbo]

Quins season ticket holders certainly get their moneys worth. Looks a brilliant atmosphere every week at the Stoop at the moment.

[Scrumhead]

Ooof. Robbed tbh. I think that try decision was too close to call without a higher angle, but we needed some dodgy decisions to get that close.

We've played poorly and clawed it back in previous weeks but Quins owe a huge amount to Adamson tonight.

Yeah not sure what the commentators were on about with Jones either. He is certainly talented, but turned over (or wrongly awarded the pen) several times again.

Yeah - we certainly rode out luck tonight. Then again, I can think of a number of times we’ve been in the wrong side of similar decisions so I tend to think it evens itself out.

Huw Jones is so frustrating. Every good thing he does is undone by something outright poor and his ball placement is truly dreadful. Any cursory analysis of his Quins performances would show he runs away from support and doesn’t fight to place the ball … any decent jackal has a very good chance of turning him over.

[Danno]

Quins Quinsing it. Again. Don't ever, ever be ahead at half time, when will anyone learn? (Shut up Leicester fans )

[Danno]

Ooof. Robbed tbh. I think that try decision was too close to call without a higher angle, but we needed some dodgy decisions to get that close.

We've played poorly and clawed it back in previous weeks but Quins owe a huge amount to Adamson tonight.

Yeah not sure what the commentators were on about with Jones either. He is certainly talented, but turned over (or wrongly awarded the pen) several times again.

I think you saw a few little glimmers with Jones where he hit a line or beat a tackler,and he's certainly trying hard, but he still looks short on confidence and like he hasn't quite worked out how he fits in the attack yet. Hopefully a few games in a row and he'll properly click. Didn't think he was bad today.

managed to watch it in the end and I dunno about that. He has a tendency to outrun his support (if there is some, because he likes a blind alley as well) and I'm surprised/glad Castres didn't target him more because there was definitely some gains to be made there. Evans needs to have a strong word imo

[FKAS]

Ignoring the large slices of officiating luck that came there way Quins coaches will probably be pretty unhappy with how that went. Defence got opened up regularly and Marker's thuggery hindered them they'll know that against better teams they just won't get away with playing like that.