History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

BROWN: QUINS CAN STAY IN PLAY-OFF BERTH

Harlequins moved up to fourth in the Guinness Premiership with a bonus-point victory over play-off rivals Sale Sharks on Sunday at the Stoop. Dean Richards’s side bounced back from defeat by Newcastle Falcons the previous weekend to win 38-20 thanks, in particular, to an outstanding second-half performance.

With home fly half Chris Malone, in for the injured Nick Evans, and Sale stand off Charlie Hodgson trading penalties in a error-strewn first half, the score reached 12-12 at the interval. But Quins shifted gears after the break and began to play expansive, attractive rugby, and reaped the rewards for some bold decisions – notably kicking for the corner rather than punting for three points.

South African hooker Gary Botha barged over for the first try of Quins’ tries soon after half-time, and when the ball was shipped through numerous backs’ hands a score from 19-year-old winger Seb Stegmann soon followed.

With England trio Nick Easter, Danny Care and Ugo Monye part of the 11,592 watching on, No8 Tom Guest broke from a scrum and crashed over to put the result beyond doubt. And centre De Wet Barry’s interception and 50 metre dash sealed the bonus-point. Though Hodgson scored a breakaway try and another penalty, Quins, with four games remaining, are confident of remaining in the top four.

“The boys did really well,” said full back Mike Brown. “In the first-half I think the teams were feeling each other out and there were a lot of penalties given. But in the second-half it opened up which was good for us because we could play the game we want to play.

“We improved our discipline in the second-half and that killed them. We go to Sale in a couple of weeks and this win will set the tone for that match. We have got to stay up in the top four now – it is so tight between one and six but we are definitely confident we can do it and make the play-offs.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Mike Brown, Sale Sharks

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:01 pm | Permalink | Comments

BROWN HOPING TO PROVE QUINS' CANDIDACY

Mike Brown believes that if Harlequins can defeat Irish giants Ulster in their own backyard, at the intimidating Ravenhill, then it will further prove to the rugby world that he and his young team will have come of age. A victory on Saturday for the full-back and his pals would ensure passage to the quarter-finals of Europe’s biggest club competition, and a continuation of a sparkling campaign.

Quins go in to Saturday's match atop Heineken Cup Group Four, having achieved a memorable double over European behemoth Stade Francais – results that made doubters of the ability of Dean Richards’s team eat their words.

“People outside didn't really take us seriously before then,” says the 23-year-old, capped thrice for England, of Round three’s 15-10 win in Paris. “They still saw us a young Quins team who could win the odd big game but who were still progressing. That win showed everyone that we can do it on the biggest stage. The guys in the dressing room had belief beforehand that we could beat Stade - and that's what counted.

“But now it puts it puts us in the position where we go away and teams really want to beat us because of what we have done to Stade. That puts a lot more pressure on us but I'm hopeful that we can live up to that and keep playing the way we have been.

“It was an amazing spectacle at Stade Francais, though I didn't get a chance to see any of the entertainment beforehand. It was quite difficult to block it all out as there was so much going on.

“It was very surreal for me as it felt so much like an international and I was there playing with my Harlequins mates. It was such a fast, physical game, and very strange for me. There were just under 80,000 people watching at Stade and that is very rare in club rugby. It was amazing for all the guys to get that experience.”

The star man on that day in France’s capital, and the following week when Quins eked out a 19-17 win, was All Black Nick Evans. The 28-year-old masterminded the Londoners’ attack, and – as he is also a handy No15 – Brown admits that he is learning a lot from the New Zealander.

He continues: “Nick is such a good player and when he is playing No10 it helps everyone in the back line because he does play an expansive game, as all Kiwis do, and he runs the game well. It is good for me – if I have some queries about playing full-back, because I am still learning, then he can help me as he has played at the top level in my position.

“He is always willing to help me out positionally, he has ideas in defence, knows when a full-back should come in to the line and when we are on the counter-attack he knows what to look for.”

When Ulster visited the Stoop back in October, a good first half showing from the home team paved the way for a convincing 42-21 victory. Brown crossed for a try – one of six so far this season – but he is expecting Ulster to be much less of a push over on home soil.

“We are not taking them lightly,” he says, “as we know they are a good team, especially at home. They would love a win over the English boys, too, so we know Ravenhill will be a hard place to go and play.

“I've only played there once before, on a sopping wet Friday night for the Saxons, so I know what to expect. The closest thing to the atmosphere we can expect is that found at Gloucester's Kingsholm. It will be very intimidating but the boys are very much looking forward to that.”

Quins fly to Dublin having not won since the heroics against Stade Francais – a draw with Leicester, defeats to Northampton and Wasps followed. And last weekend’s game over struggling Worcester was frozen off. So Brown is desperate to post a ‘W’ against Ulster.

“We are raring to go for this weekend,” he adds. “It was disappointing to have the game against Saracens called off, but on the plus side some guys who have played a lot of games get a rest.

“In our last game it was disappointing to lose to Wasps as we thought we would have a good chance of turning them over. But they came out firing and in the first half we were very poor. We were trying to force things too much. But the vibe inside the camp is good – all the boys are enjoying their rugby and we are still very confident in our ability.”

Labels: Heineken Cup, London Harlequins, Mike Brown, Ulster

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:29 am | Permalink | Comments