Quins vs Irish

[Puja]

Harlequins team to play London Irish (Harlequins appearances)

15. Mike Brown (280)
14. Marland Yarde (74)
13. Joe Marchant (37)
12. Jamie Roberts (29)
11. Charlie Walker (67)
10. Marcus Smith (-)
9. Danny Care (224)

1. Joe Marler (152)
2. Rob Buchanan (117)
3. Will Collier (108)
4. Ben Glynn (-)
5. James Horwill (Captain, 40)
6. Chris Robshaw (239)
7. Dave Ward (117)
8. Jack Clifford (66)

16. Joe Gray (140)
17. Mark Lambert (209)
18. Kyle Sinckler (100)
19. George Merrick (59)
20. Mat Luamanu (38)
21. Charlie Mulchrone (16)
22. Demetri Catrakilis (-)
23. Winston Stanley (17)

[Puja]

London Irish: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Fergus Mulchrone, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 James Marshall, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, 2 David Paice (c), 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 5 Sebastian De Chaves, 6 Mike Coman, 7 Blair Cowan, 8 Ofisa Treviranus

Replacements: 16 Dave Porecki, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Josh McNally, 20 Conor Gilsenan, 21 Brendan McKibbin, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Aseli Tikoirotuma

[fivepointer]

Well well, young Smith gets a start. Big test, good luck to the lad.

I've got a feeling Irish will be a lot better then some are predicting. That pack looks pretty workmanlike to me and there's enough in the backs to pose most defences a few headaches.

[Puja]

I felt the opposite on seeing that Irish team - the backs look average at best and the forwards - well, I'll give you workmanlike, but I wouldn't be using it as a compliment. None of their young talents have been gambled on - this looks military medium all the way through and I think Quins will put 50 on them.

Puja

[Tigersman]

Prob Quins best chance to start smith, Irish first game in the prem.

If it was against someone with big ball carriers i suspect he wouldn't be starting.

How is Ojo still in the prem side? he got gassed a few times in the champ.

[Adam_P]

Interested to see how Danny Hobbs gets on, I had high hopes for him at Saints before he was binned off. Glad quins are starting Smith, hopefully he goes well

[TheNomad]

I felt the opposite on seeing that Irish team - the backs look average at best and the forwards - well, I'll give you workmanlike, but I wouldn't be using it as a compliment. None of their young talents have been gambled on - this looks military medium all the way through and I think Quins will put 50 on them.

Puja

Same - Irish will get a shoeing

[Scrumhead]

I felt the opposite on seeing that Irish team - the backs look average at best and the forwards - well, I'll give you workmanlike, but I wouldn't be using it as a compliment. None of their young talents have been gambled on - this looks military medium all the way through and I think Quins will put 50 on them.

Puja

I'd love that, but Irish always raise their game against us.

My feeling is that their squad is not really any stronger than it was when they were relegated so I don't really see a different scenario this time around. If anything, the Premiership teams have got better in the last year.

I will be gutted if Quins can't put that lineup to the sword. I fancy us to score tries and secure a comfortable-ish BP win, but I think it will be more like 30 points with a 10-20 point margin rather 50 points.

[Mellsblue]

How is Ojo still in the prem side? he got gassed a few times in the champ.

I thought this but in the trailer for 5's new highlights show he said he was the fastest in the squad. That probably says more about LI's squad than his gas but it would explain why he has been picked.

[Mellsblue]

Interested to see how Danny Hobbs gets on, I had high hopes for him at Saints before he was binned off.

Me too. I got far too annoyed last season when I saw Ma'afu stinking up the place and DHA was in the Champ. He looked seriously good at u20.

[Tigersman]

Really interested to see how Smith plays.

He should be getting front foot ball with that Quins pack and has a England 9 next to him.

[twitchy]

Yeah I'm enjoying watching him so far.

[Banquo]

Yeah I'm enjoying watching him so far.

he looks good, Ojo may have just scored a cracker as well

[Banquo]

bit of benefit of the doubt-itis there but fair enough

[Mikey Brown]

I'm not actually sure I like seeing tries disallowed for things like that. But easy to say that when we're only 20 minutes in.

[Banquo]

I'm not actually sure I like seeing tries disallowed for things like that. But easy to say that when we're only 20 minutes in.

things like what? Knock-ons or offisdes?

[Banquo]

Mikey Brown, nice pass, unlike Marlon

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah I guess there's no logic there, just seems like such a marginal thing, what felt like a long time before the try, but it was actually only a phase or so before I guess.

Anyway, Quins horribly inconsistent. Surprise surprise.

Oh look. Marchant is good.

[Mikey Brown]

Aye that pass was horrendous. As bad as Roberts kick.

[Banquo]

suspect quins will win eventually, but far from a shoeing for Oirish to date.

[Digby]

Irish are not Welsh

[Banquo]

Irish are not Welsh

Rarebit of insight

[Banquo]

Smith being mentored by Farrell? Judging by that pass.....

[Digby]

Irish are not Welsh

Rarebit of insight

Brains the way forward, lots of Brains

[Mikey Brown]

Ah. Back to the game plan of doing as many passes as possible before we even think about getting to the gainline. We really need somebody to put some shape on this.

Clifford carrying very well today though.