We’ve reached the stage of the English season when different competitions wrestle for our attention.
While head coaches of national sides are busy announcing their squads for next month’s 6 Nations, PWR clubs have just four more rounds of the regular schedule to complete. Tension rises.
The tussle for that all-important fourth place could hardly be tighter. The gap between Quins in 4th place and Lightning in 7th is a mere 5 points.
Quins v Trailfinders (kick-off 19.30)
Friday night sees the next stage in the drama. Here’s how the two teams line up at the Stoop;
Quins: 1 TURANI 2 C. POWELL 3 HANLON 4 MIKAELE TU’U 5 KONKEL (captain) 6 WYTHE 7 SVOBODA 8 WAFER 9 BURGESS 10 K. POWELL 11 AUCKEN 12 PARRY 13 PENA 14 WILCOCK 15 KILDUNNE
16 PHILLIPS 17 DELGADO 18 WINSTANLEY 19 McINTOSH 20 MEULLER 21 CROMACK 22 TUIMA 23 TORLEY
Trailfinders: 1 MONTIEL 2 PONSONBY 3 KALOUNIVALE 4 ROOS 5 WASSELL 6 BORLAND 7 MALCOLM (captain) 8 BURTON 9 BRADLEY 10 C. GALLAGHER 11 COX 12 UREN 13 M. JONES 14 WHITE 15 N. GALLAGHER
16 BLANCO 17 LEATHERMAN 18 TUFFNAIL 19 PINNOCK 20 HEAD 21 AMORY 22 LAFLIN 23 BOATMAN
There are some interesting calls. Claudia Pena returns to the centre, which makes a lot of sense; but Carys Cox moves in the other direction. We have yet to discover where Sean Lynn intends placing her.
The two sides brim with talent, yet neither has enjoyed recent success. Quins’ run over the last four rounds reads four losses; TF have a win, a draw and two losses.
Their current positions
Quins lie 4th with 35 points from 13 matches; TF 6th with 32 points from 12.
I can spot five English players in the visitors’ starting XV. No further comment.
Odd note: only two clubs, Gloucester-Hartpury and Leicester Tigers, have avoided a draw this season!
Still to come:
Tigers v Chiefs on Saturday at 12.30
Lightning v Glos-Pury on Sunday at 12.15
Sharks v Bears on Sunday at 15.00
Can Lightning possibly lower G-H’s colours, or at least deny them a bonus point?
