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Harlequins will encounter temperatures of below freezing and a frosty reception when they make the European Rugby Challenge Cup trip to face Timisoara Saracens. - 08/12/2016 11:02
Harlequins will encounter temperatures of below freezing and a frosty reception when they make the European Rugby Challenge Cup trip to face Timisoara Saracens.
Quins may be the favourites to emerge victorious at the 33,000 capacity Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, but they head into the Pool 5 clash having not won away from home in the Aviva Premiership this season. And with bitterly cold conditions expected, the weather could well be a leveller for the underdogs and lead to a tighter than expected encounter.
Timisoara have conceded 86 points in two heavy defeats in Pool 5 so far, and remain firmly up against it to reach the Challenge Cup’s latter stages.
Quins, meanwhile, are battling Stade Francais and Edinburgh in their attempts to top the pool after they were beaten by the Scottish side at BT Murrayfield in the previous round.
Despite the loss, a high scoring encounter saw John Kingston’s men come away with two bonus points, leaving them in second place going into round three, two points ahead of Stade and three behind Edinburgh.
A trip to Romania and the return fixture a week later should see Harlequins secure maximum points, facing Timisoara the first time they have played a team outside of the Six Nations in 13 years.
Quins back-rower James Chisholm told Quins TV: “It will be an amazing experience, Im looking forward to getting back out there to right the wrongs of last week. We’re top of our pool and we’re looking to kick on, we want to win something this season and everyone’s excited about getting back into the competition and hopefully getting two wins.”
The Romanians may be new to the competition, but have experience in their squad with the likes of New Zealand-born winger Stephen Shennan and second row Valentin Poparlan. Standing at just under two metres, Poparlan is a fearsome line-out operator and Shennan has two tries in the competition already this season, but Quins should be the ones to come out on top.
Harlequins recovered from a slow start to secure a comfortable 42-3 victory over Romanian side Timisoara Saracens in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. - 10/12/2016 15:00
Harlequins recovered from a slow start to secure a comfortable 42-3 victory over Romanian side Timisoara Saracens in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
The English side secured a bonus point just one minute into the second half as they kept themselves in contention to qualify from Pool 5. Dave Ward, George Merrick and Aaron Morris scored tries before the break with Ruaridh Jackson adding the extras. Charlie Walker streaked home for a fourth a minute into the second half and completed his brace soon after as centre Joe Marchant scored the sixth on the hour mark.
Timisoara stood up well in the final quarter and never gave up but there was only one team which deserved to come out on top. A slow start saw Harlequins frustrated in a scoreless opening quarter, but the visitors cut loose following an early penalty for Saracens from Valentin Calafeteanu.
The Timisoara full-back had put the home side 3-0 up against the run of play, but from then on in it was one-way traffic. With Randall Morrison yellow carded for the Romanians, Harlequins struck. Ward rumbled over for the first and Merrick added a second before Morris made it three tries in 12 minutes before half time. Jackson converted all three scores to put the game out of sight with just 40 minutes gone.
At 21-3 up going into the second half, Harlequins could afford to relax and Walker waltzed in to secure the bonus point before coach John Kingston removed England props Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler from the fray.
Their absence failed to stop the Quins from piling on the points though and Walker added his second try just four minutes after his first by sending the Romanian defence flying with a brilliant offload. Marchant was the last to get on the scoresheet as Jackson completed a memorable day with the boot by converting all three second-half tries to send his team top of the group.
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