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#Post#: 155237--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: FrostAndFire
Date: June 7, 2026, 4:09 am
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--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Largely not playing today? It was a meaningless match for them
and they rested as many big names as they could get away with.
They didn't have Fin Smith, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Rory
Hutchison, Manny Iyogun, Alex Mitchell, Archie McParland, Henry
Pollock, James Ramm, Ollie Sleightholme, Eduardo Todaro, or Tom
West, and Saints still looked better than us for most of a match
they had no reason to care about.
>
> There are green shoots of recovery for Quins but let's not
beat about the bush - it took an 80th minute score to beat a 2nd
string at the Stoop and there were areas of absolute
embarrassment among some good work. The Exeter win was far more
impressive, and frankly I think we played better over the full
80 in the loss against Saracens.
>
--- End Quote ---
You could go through our missing players and pull out an equally
long list that we would have played if they were available. And
while quite a few of theirs were second string, there were also
a fair few who would be in their first team. Basically, we had
just as many first choice players as them and just as many
newbies / third choice players. Look at our starting pack, for
instance? And our back line. Would you really say that Cleaves,
Anderson and Benson were vastly more experienced or first choice
than Pater, Martin and Ramm?
#Post#: 155238--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: June 7, 2026, 5:00 am
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Again, I was responding to the question that although we were
quite poor on the day, "what does that make the table toppers
and possible champions". It's asinine to suggest that that is
the whole situation. Saints rested a whole bunch of players
because this was a completely meaningless game for them, they
had absolutely nothing to play for and their selection proved
it. It doesn't make the "table toppers and possible champions"
anything, because this basically wasn't their team or their
approach to a competitive match. We're missing plenty because of
injury but this is basically the side that we've been picking
for a while and we had something to play for. The purpose of
this match for Saints was to get some useful players some game
time and not suffer too many injuries while protecting as many
of their stars as they realistically could.
But for the record, yes I do consider eg James Pater to be
vastly less experienced than any of our starting back 3, what
with him being 18 years old and having started 7 pro games of
rugby of any type in his entire career. James Martin has played
two Premiership matches in his life. Ramm's an experienced pro
though, no doubt. All 3 of ours have plenty of appearances &
starts for Quins.
We can argue about the relative strengths of the teams and which
team was missing more players but that does kind of miss the
point I'm making. To me we had anywhere between 7 and 10
starters, depending on your opinion of who the better player is
versus who Quins rate more, and Saints had 6 or 7. Their
preferred team is something like:
Iyogun
Langdon
Davison
Coles
JJvdMescht
Kemeny
Chick
Pollock
Mitchell/McParland (not sure at this stage who is first choice)
Todaro/Sleightholme
Smith
Dingwall
Litchfield/Hutchison (I think Litchfield is probably first
choice though)
Freeman/Hendy
Furbank/Hendy
Not a lot of those guys on display yesterday.
#Post#: 155240--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: FrostAndFire
Date: June 7, 2026, 5:35 am
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Who would you say is our preferred team if we had our players
available?
#Post#: 155241--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: June 7, 2026, 5:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: FrostAndFire link ---
>
> Who would you say is our preferred team if we had our players
available?
>
--- End Quote ---
Right now, based on form and recent selection decisions?
Baxter
Riley
Williams or Lamositele
Lewies
Petti
Kenningham (CCS just got dropped)
Evans
Dombrandt
Porter (although I think we're all united in preferring Friday,
the club started Porter asap)
Smith
Murley
Bradley (I'd rather Waghorn)
Beard
Anderson (has had a run of games at 14 regardless of anyone
else's fitness)
Green
The choice between Isgro and Cleaves possibly starting matches
as well isn't clear as I don't think the club trusts either of
them, plus Green on the wing and Benson at FB has been an
option.
Bench is trickier especially at prop
#Post#: 155242--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: FrostAndFire
Date: June 7, 2026, 6:32 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Right now, based on form and recent selection decisions?
>
> Baxter
> Riley
> Williams or Lamositele
> Lewies
> Petti
> Kenningham (CCS just got dropped)
> Evans
> Dombrandt
> Porter (although I think we're all united in preferring
Friday, the club started Porter asap)
> Smith
> Murley
> Bradley (I'd rather Waghorn)
> Beard
> Anderson (has had a run of games at 14 regardless of anyone
else's fitness)
> Green
>
> The choice between Isgro and Cleaves possibly starting matches
as well isn't clear as I don't think the club trusts either of
them, plus Green on the wing and Benson at FB has been an
option.
>
> Bench is trickier especially at prop
>
--- End Quote ---
I think we'd definitely differ a bit. Anderson is a decent club
player, but given the choice I'd take David or even Northmore on
the wing, or swap Green to the wing and put David at FB. I
wouldn't have Williams or Lamositele anywhere near the team
(although I accept our options are limited there, but I'd take
Delgado). I'd have Petti or CCS at 6, Walker at 2, and Carr,
Treadwell or Green to replace Petti, Waghorn over Bradley if he
can get a run of games and prove himself. Porter and Friday are
a toss-up, and I don't mind which of them is on the bench and
which starts.
#Post#: 155243--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: A222Quin
Date: June 7, 2026, 6:41 am
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A lovely tribute to Nev after the game. He’s been part of the
club for so long and provided us with some incredible memories.
I hope he goes well and wish him all the success in the future.
Pleased with the win and delighted for Lawday to score the
winner. The fundamental bits we are bad at remain the bits we’re
bad at even if the overall performances have trended upwards.
Line out is really poor, a lot of our back play seems more luck
than judgment and decision making is often bizarre.
I just hope S&C is improved over the summer otherwise any other
improvement anywhere else is academic. The sheer number of
combinations we’ve ended up needing to put out has surely had an
impact on just how poor we have been a lot of the season. I look
forward to hearing about the remainder of the back room
appointments and hopefully another signing or two!
#Post#: 155245--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: June 7, 2026, 8:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: FrostAndFire link ---
>
> I think we'd definitely differ a bit. Anderson is a decent
club player, but given the choice I'd take David or even
Northmore on the wing, or swap Green to the wing and put David
at FB. I wouldn't have Williams or Lamositele anywhere near the
team (although I accept our options are limited there, but I'd
take Delgado). I'd have Petti or CCS at 6, Walker at 2, and
Carr, Treadwell or Green to replace Petti, Waghorn over Bradley
if he can get a run of games and prove himself. Porter and
Friday are a toss-up, and I don't mind which of them is on the
bench and which starts.
>
--- End Quote ---
I agree with a lot of this, but looking at recent selection
decisions and comments from the club I don't think they agree,
and that's what I was trying to represent here.
#Post#: 155246--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: KentQuin
Date: June 7, 2026, 9:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: A222Quin link ---
>
> I just hope S&C is improved over the summer otherwise any
other improvement anywhere else is academic. The sheer number of
combinations we’ve ended up needing to put out has surely had an
impact on just how poor we have been a lot of the season. I look
forward to hearing about the remainder of the back room
appointments and hopefully another signing or two!
>
--- End Quote ---
In his post-match interview Gilmore was asked about pre-season
priorities and he gave, in order:
1. Player availability
2. Set-piece
3. Contact
So they have at least diagnosed correctly.
#Post#: 155247--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: FishQuin
Date: June 7, 2026, 12:43 pm
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--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Kenningham (CCS just got dropped)
>
--- End Quote ---
I’m pretty sure Gilmore said CCS was injured… I think it was in
the post match comments.
#Post#: 155251--------------------------------------------------
Re: Team News: Lewies returns as one of five changes
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: June 7, 2026, 3:12 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: FishQuin link ---
>
> I’m pretty sure Gilmore said CCS was injured… I think it was
in the post match comments.
>
--- End Quote ---
Thanks - he wasn't listed as unavailable beforehand and he
sucked against Sarries, WEv was excellent, so assumed he was
just dropped
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