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       #Post#: 110778--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: Yareet
       Date: July 10, 2023, 4:01 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Really think it's impossible to call where any team will finish
       in any season.
       Last season we again saw that any team can beat any team on a
       given day. Add in the wide range of match points available and a
       small difference can have a sizeable impact on league position.
       A ref's call or try-saving tackle can be the difference between
       5 match points and 2. A 3-point swing last season would have
       taken Exeter from 7th to 10th.
       #Post#: 110780--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 10, 2023, 4:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       It's also a mad, manic season. Very compressed, hugely impacted
       by the world cup, and with a lot of belt-tightening happening. I
       completely agree, impossible to call.
       We're all pretty happy with how recruitment's gone and so
       expectations are rightly quite high, which I think is fair. If
       Smith/Care/Dombrandt/Murley miss out on the world cup squad
       we'll have a real shot at the league. But I'm actually looking
       forward to seeing how we do without them because of that
       recruitment - our new backups are really exciting.
       #Post#: 110781--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: never sleep
       Date: July 10, 2023, 5:23 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Also - a lot of it comes down to the fixture list.
       Eg. Some teams will lose a lot of players for the World Cup +
       Six Nations.
       As Jammy points out, if Quins players miss out on the World Cup,
       then we could have a full strength team playing against teams
       who are decimated by call-ups.
       A few years ago we played against a decimated Chiefs during the
       6 Nations and unexpectedly beat them.
  HTML https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51550154
       We also beat an understrength Saracens team 41-14 also during
       the 6 Nations
  HTML https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51192310
       #Post#: 110782--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 10, 2023, 5:26 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I think I'm right in saying that the 41-14 game was more about
       Saracens throwing a hissy fit regarding the relegation and
       sending the reserves out to get slaughtered. They "rested" a
       bunch of players on top of the absentees.
       #Post#: 110783--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: never sleep
       Date: July 10, 2023, 5:29 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > I think I'm right in saying that the 41-14 game was more about
       Saracens throwing a hissy fit regarding the relegation and
       sending the reserves out to get slaughtered. They "rested" a
       bunch of players on top of the absentees.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       It was heard to tell in those days. Their third team was
       probably made up mainly B+I Lions and Springboks.
       #Post#: 110784--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 10, 2023, 5:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: never sleep link ---
       >
       > It was heard to tell in those days. Their third team was
       probably made up mainly B+I Lions and Springboks.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Not far off - 5 starters with Tier 1 caps including world cup
       winner Koch. I think I'm right in saying that of our starting
       team we had Care, Lewies, Robshaw, Garcia Botta, Collier with T1
       caps and Elia with some T2 ones. We probably had lots more
       overall too given Care and Robshaw. But then it was basically
       our first team, so, y'know.
       Harlequins: Morris; Murley, Penny, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith, Care;
       Garcia Botta, Elia, Collier, Lewies, Symons, J Chisholm, Robshaw
       (capt), Dombrandt.
       Replacements: Musk, Auterac, Kerrod, Cavubati, Kunatani,
       Landajo, Herron, Goneva.
       Saracens: Gallagher; Lewington, Lozowski, Morris, Segun; Manu
       Vunipola, Wigglesworth (co-capt); Barrington, Singleton, Koch,
       Hunter-Hill, Kpoku, Isiekwe, Clark, Wray (co-capt).
       Replacements: Woolstencroft, Lamositele ,Ibuanokpe, Christie,
       Reffell, Spencer, Watson, Obatoyinbo.
       So Saracens were missing Jamie George, Joe Gray, Rhys Carre,
       Juan Figallo, Mako Vunipola, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Will
       Skelton, Michael Rhodes, Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell, Damian
       Willemse, Duncan Taylor, Nick Tompkins, Elliot Daly, Sean
       Maitland, Liam Williams, Alex Goode as players you'd probably
       recognise, plus a few others. Not all of those would've been
       gone for the 6N - Goode, Rhodes, Skelton, Figallo, Gray, etc etc
       #Post#: 110785--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: Yareet
       Date: July 10, 2023, 5:57 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > Not far off - 5 starters with Tier 1 caps including world cup
       winner Koch. I think I'm right in saying that of our starting
       team we had Care, Lewies, Robshaw, Garcia Botta, Collier with T1
       caps and Elia with some T2 ones. We probably had lots more
       overall too given Care and Robshaw. But then it was basically
       our first team, so, y'know.
       >
       > Harlequins: Morris; Murley, Penny, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith,
       Care; Garcia Botta, Elia, Collier, Lewies, Symons, J Chisholm,
       Robshaw (capt), Dombrandt.
       >
       > Replacements: Musk, Auterac, Kerrod, Cavubati, Kunatani,
       Landajo, Herron, Goneva.
       >
       > Saracens: Gallagher; Lewington, Lozowski, Morris, Segun; Manu
       Vunipola, Wigglesworth (co-capt); Barrington, Singleton, Koch,
       Hunter-Hill, Kpoku, Isiekwe, Clark, Wray (co-capt).
       >
       > Replacements: Woolstencroft, Lamositele ,Ibuanokpe, Christie,
       Reffell, Spencer, Watson, Obatoyinbo.
       >
       >
       > So Saracens were missing Jamie George, Joe Gray, Rhys Carre,
       Juan Figallo, Mako Vunipola, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Will
       Skelton, Michael Rhodes, Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell, Damian
       Willemse, Duncan Taylor, Nick Tompkins, Elliot Daly, Sean
       Maitland, Liam Williams, Alex Goode as players you'd probably
       recognise, plus a few others. Not all of those would've been
       gone for the 6N - Goode, Rhodes, Skelton, Figallo, Gray, etc etc
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Was Lasike not capped by then?
       #Post#: 110786--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 10, 2023, 6:36 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Yareet link ---
       >
       > Was Lasike not capped by then?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Almost definitely was capped before he joined us, actually - so
       add another T2 capped player.
       Would also say that it's not quite our first team either, given
       the presence of Morris, Penny, Lasike, and Garcia Botta. Such is
       life.
       #Post#: 110787--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: TomBuckQuin
       Date: July 10, 2023, 6:53 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
       >
       > ...
       >
       > Harlequins: Morris; Murley, Penny, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith,
       Care; Garcia Botta, Elia, Collier, Lewies, Symons, J Chisholm,
       Robshaw (capt), Dombrandt.
       >
       > Replacements: Musk, Auterac, Kerrod, Cavubati, Kunatani,
       Landajo, Herron, Goneva.
       >
       > ...
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Seeing that old team sheet does actually show how much stronger
       our squad is now. I'd argue the likes of Morris, Penny, Elia,
       Cavubati, Herron and Goneva would have to be very lucky to get
       any kind of look-in on a Prem/CC matchday if they were still
       with us as part of next season's squad. Unfortunately Garcia
       Botta is still with us (in name at least) and I'd argue he'll
       still be very lucky to get a look-in, but for the fact it will
       only take one or two injuries at LH before we'll be obliged to
       put him on the bench. Feels like the one position we aren't
       particularly deep in - but hopefully that can be addressed at
       the end of next season (please tell me that's when his contract
       is up).
       #Post#: 110788--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Where will Quins finish in the 23/24 Premiership ?
   DIR By: Ozzie
       Date: July 10, 2023, 8:14 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: never sleep link ---
       >
       > It was heard to tell in those days. Their third team was
       probably made up mainly B+I Lions and Springboks.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Isn't that still the case? Or have they added some Argentinians
       and Aussies?
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