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The 'little pebble under your beach mat' driving on Harlequins

(Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

New Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson has reported that last December’s wounding European defeat at Munster was still a hot topic months later at the Londoners’ pre-season for the 2021/22 campaign, leaving them determined to go out this winter and demonstrate their true ability in the Heineken Champions Cup.

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It was twelve months ago when Harlequins came into the European tournament on the back of Gallagher Premiership wins at Northampton and Gloucester but they couldn’t keep up that away form when visiting Limerick, losing 21-7 and then going on to get hammered 49-7 at home to Racing the following week.

With the January pool matches cancelled, those losses left Harlequins eliminated as the eleventh-best side in the twelve-team Pool B while they also lost Paul Gustard as their boss later that month.

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Ryan Wilson on almost becoming a Barbarian

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Ryan Wilson on almost becoming a Barbarian

The upside was how they regrouped incredibly well with the staff they had remaining, going on to win the Premiership title in June in swashbuckling style, and now with Matson on board as the boss, Harlequins are hoping to rectify what unfolded in Europe last time out.

Home and away matches versus Castres and Cardiff away, kicking off in France this Sunday, and the ex-dual All Blacks/Fijian international player can’t wait to get started following a baptism at Harlequins where five of nine league games were won in recent months.

“When I was joining the club I actually didn’t venture too far back, but the Munster game has been spoken about in a very disappointing manner. They were really gutted for the team to lose so convincingly in Europe,” said Matson. “That is often a little pebble under your beach mat during the summer. This is a completely different year. The players have high expectations of what they are going to do and what they are going to achieve.

“It doesn’t stop you playing against a really good team and getting beaten convincingly. That is the nature of the Heineken Cup, isn’t it? The best teams in the northern hemisphere are here. We have to be at our absolute best to prepare the team as a coaching group because the styles are very different.”

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Matson is well versed in the French mentality, having joined Brive in 1998 after they had been 1996/97 European champions, so he reckons he knows what Harlequins will face at Castres on Sunday. “Probably one of the things about playing a French club at home, having been there and played there, but also having played in those home games, this [Harlequins next Sunday] will be a massive target for them.

“They will know if they get their first win in Europe, not only does it make their players grow in stature but also the club and the supporters. It’s such an important fixture for them, you know. And for them, playing the current English champions, it’s going to be really important.

“They will know they have to be at their best, and they will be. They always bring it in Europe, so I’m really excited. Castres has got a strong history. I know you say they fight above their weight, but one of the things about the Heineken Cup is they are one-off fixtures.

“Do you get your prep right? Do you get your selection right? Do you get the tactics on the day right? If you don’t, a French club at home will make you look silly. So, it’s exciting playing in such an amazing away fixture, in Castres first.”

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What is the Harlequins ambition for the year? “They should be excited because the players have higher expectations and when they put their goals together in the pre-season, they truly believed they can get through the second stage of Europe and one thing, probably on the back of last season’s semi-final and final and in the Premiership, is they know that in a one-off game Quins are dangerous.

“So they feel that they have just got to make sure we are adaptable enough to play well through the winter and then if we play a one-off game in Europe, they feel they can get it done. So that is all I’m saying. They don’t have any further aspirations about a semi or a final, but they know that, if they get to the second stage, watch out!”

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J
JPM 32 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 34 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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