Weekend Rugby Preview
The solitary offering in England is the Big Game: Quins meet Leicester Tigers at Twickenham at 16.00. All the fun of the fair, and some rugby too.
Teams
Harlequins
1 TURANI 2 C. POWELL 3 HANLON 4 BONAR 5 LEANEY FLEMING 7 CALLENDER 8 KONKEL (captain) 9 L. PACKER 10 H. POWELL 11 NEUMANN 12 TUIMA 13 PENA 14 WILCOCK 15 KILDUNNE
16 PHILLIPS 17 SPURRIER 18 DELGADO 19 BROOKS 20 MILLAR-MILLS 21 SWORDS 22 PARRY 23 TORLEY
Leicester Tigers
1 BARTLETT 2 COKAYNE 3 BENAVENT 4 DONALDSON 5 FRAY 6 OMOKHUALE 7 CHILDS 8 McBRIEN (captain) 9 RELF 10 N. JONES 11 McGHIE 12 WILLS 13 M. JONES 14 HENRICH 15 GALLAGHER
16 SIMPSON 17 CONSTABLE 18 VINCENT 19 RICHARDSON 20 GORDON 21 MAXWELL 22 FEURY 23 SAGAPOLU SANELE
For the sixteenth time the club is throwing all its resources at the game. The target is a new world club attendance record. The one weakness in the claim is that it forms part of a double header: the men playing Tigers at 18.00. Stand-alones are the criterion.
The first challenge is to get as many people as possible into the ground in late-afternoon, two hours before the men’s event. In the depths of winter that’s a harder task than in late spring. and the gate fee is affected by the offer of two matches in one.
The second is to attract people back for future fixtures. I recall pointing out that problem a few years ago. A huge audience for the Game Changer (the title then employed) at the Stoop, then a much smaller one for the following game.
We see a parallel in the falling attendances at HQ, after the mammoth 58,498 to see that England-France match. Strange creatures, people.
But the best of luck to Quins, as they continue setting new standards for crowds and entertainment. Watch out for other clubs copying their example, seeking the largest stadiums to attract the largest gates.
A home banker result is pure coincidence.
The Celtic Challenge offers two return matches:
Clovers vs Wolfhounds at UC Dublin, KO 12.00
Brython Thunder vs Gwalia Lightning, Parc Y Scarlets, KO 14.30
A chance for Clovers and Brython to get their own back – but unlikely.
