Miles Harrison says it's all to play for as Harlequins travel to London Irish with the top four on their minds.
Surprise packages Harlequins have it all to gain
Harlequins have been rejuvenated since February when the shook off their winter shackles and have continued to climb up the Premiership table. Currently in third place, they have their eyes firmly on a top-four place, but Miles Harrison explains that while London Irish may be out of the play-offs, they have ambitions of their own. With a game against Toulouse next week for a place in the Heineken Cup final, Miles still believes that they will be focussed on the Guinness Premiership.
With London Irish facing Toulouse in the Heineken Cup semi-finals, do you think there is the danger of them taking this game as just a warm-up for that game?
MILES: No, I cannot see them doing that. They are tasting what Europe is like at the moment and exactly how sweet it can taste and they will want to be in Europe next year. They are in there fighting for the last four, but there is no guarantee that they will win it and qualify that route. They do realise the importance of the league and the run in. Top four in the Guinness Premiership has gone for them now, but European qualification hasn't. There is still a lot riding on this game for London Irish, so they will not take this as a warm up for Toulouse.
However no matter how hard the players try and put big games on the horizon out of their minds, no matter how hard coaches try and get the mindset right, it is only human nature that somewhere in the mind is the thought of Toulouse.
It is going to be a case of controlling that so it does not affect performance - that will be London Irish's challenge this week as well as coming up against Harlequins who are one of the form teams in the country.
Harlequins are looking at having their best ever Premiership finish. What would you put that down to?
MILES: It is quite remarkable. You look at their excellent start and you thought that something special could be on the cards for them. Then they fell apart so dramatically during the winter months, but all of a sudden spring comes along and Harlequins come up like a flower.
I would say it is down to a calm, measured and experienced approach from the guy at the top - Dean Richards. Even when it was going so wrong in those winter months, he never lost his composure or the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think you saw his strength of character. Secondly, there was a realisation that Harlequins had to find the style that suited them.
The dust was settling on all of those thought processes throughout that barren period. It became apparent what game-plan suited their personnel. That is tied in with the fact that Richards has gone with a lot of youngsters who want to play that type of rugby.
Richards has been very keen to stress that his whole coaching team have played their part. They have found the right route and there is an awful lot that can be achieved by this group of players.
Dean Richards has been realistic about his sides chances, and has not put too much pressure on them has he?
MILES: Well no-one would say that they don't want a Premiership title, but it would be getting there very soon if they were to win the whole thing this year. You sense it is about building blocks, about building something more sustainable.
We saw him on the
Rugby Club saying let's take this one step at a time, that is not sending the wrong message to his team because he immediately said lets give it a crack, lets go out and enjoy playing great rugby. It is finding that balanced approach that Richards is very good at. That is what Harlequins are all about in the next four weeks.
If it goes badly wrong for them, by which I mean they don't make the top four, nobody is going to be too critical about how their season has recovered.
Equally Richards and his players do not seem the type of men who are going to settle for second best. They will go out and see if they can do something very special, we are not talking about top four here, but top two which is quite incredible.
This is a game that new England manager Martin Johnson will be keeping a close eye on with plenty of raw English talent on both sides.
MILES: Yes, there are a lot of talented young players on both sides. If you look at the London Irish side Shane Geraghty jumps out of the page and Johnson will no doubt want to see where he is coming back from injury.
David Paice continues to be a player who should be in the England set-up at some stage. There is no Nick Kennedy this week, but no doubt Martin Johnson will know all about him being in Johnson's old position.
Then you look at Harlequins and you look at the likes of David Strettle coming back from injury - will he be part of the tour to New Zealand? You think of Danny Care player of the month for March and many people saying that he should be getting a look in on England's tour to New Zealand.
He is of course up against Paul Hodgson who was in the England Six Nations squad. We have not even looked at the Harlequins pack with the likes of George Robson, Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter coming back from injury with Tom Guest on the bench who has certainly staked his claims too.
Will Skinner has also impressed this season and is saying that he is more than just the club player he thought he was.
So plenty of young English players and it is certainly a game for Johnson to watch.
