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Harlequins player ratings vs Exeter | 2021 Gallagher Premiership Final
HARLEQUINS PLAYER RATINGS: Coming into the Gallagher Premiership Final, the Londoners had scored 703 points in the 22 rounds, a feat only bested Saracens. Against that, they had reached the final despite conceding 77 tries in same period, a competition record.
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They’re a team that come to play but the question was whether they could match the heroics of their remarkable semi-final against Bristol. The answer was emphatic.
1. JOE MARLER – 8
The England veteran caused Exeter all sorts of problems at setpiece. His tackle at 70 minutes summed up a titanic effort from the loosehead.
2. SCOTT BALDWIN – 7.5
The Worcester bound hooker took a heavy friendly-fire contact with Marler and came off second best, but he soldiered on. Will leave Harlequins with his reputation enhanced.
3. WILCO LOUW – 8
A mammoth shift from the giant tighthead, who has been a revelation for Quins this term. Rumbled over for a rare try to strike a blow against Exeter’s oft impenetrably forward pack.
4. MATT SYMONS – 7.5
Harlequins locking partnership didn’t shy away from the battle with their international opposite numbers. His 20 tackles were only bested by Kenningham’s 22.
5. STEPHAN LEWIES – 7
A 6’6, 113kg, piano-shifting pest that didn’t give an inch for 59 minutes.
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6. JAMES CHISHOLM – 7
A couple of forced errors along the way but tackled his guts out. His ginger beard seemed to be everywhere.
7. JACK KENNINGHAM – 7.5
An absolute menace at the breakdown and it would be mean spirited to judge him for the half break conceded in the lead up to Devoto’s pivotal try. Maybe Harlequins find of the season.
8. ALEX DOMBRANDT – 8
What a battle this was with Sam Simmonds. At his rampaging best in the opening exchanges and his try before halftime was justly deserved.
9. DANNY CARE – 8.5
Quins Benjamin Button, Care refused to take the foot off, the London’s sides insane tempo reaping rewards. With things boiling over, it wasn’t surprising to see the 34-year-old at the centre of it of the melee.
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10. MARCUS SMITH – 8
Marcus Smith had scored 278 points coming into the final, a tally that has only once been topped since 2007 – Jimmy Gopperth’s 292 for Wasps in 2017. His high stakes yellow didn’t cost Harlequins as he might have feared and the young maestro clearly thrived in this evening’s chaos.
11. CADAN MURLEY – 7.5
Some questionable decisions in defence with Exeter chasing the game in the first half, but 21-year-old was one of those that ran Exeter ragged. Off at 59 minutes after emptying himself on the pitch.
12. ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN – 8
The giant South African centre bagged a huge turnover in front of his line off a Simmonds carry and was good value for his second-half try. The hulking 12 is the odd one out in Harlequins’ backline, but he’s the perfect foil for the madcap attackers around him.
13. JOE MARCHANT – 8
Central to everything good Harlequins did in attack. Asked to step up with kicking duty with Smith in the sin bin, which wasn’t a problem. England starts surely beckon?
14. LOUIS LYNAGH – 8
A poor missed tackle on O’Flaherty stood out but he did just enough to shepherd Simmonds into touch a couple of plays later. His defence remains a work-on but his instincts in attack are impeccable.
15. TYRONE GREEN – 7.5
Exeter actually contained the in-form South African relatively but he still managed 34 metres after contact, four defenders beaten and a match-winning try assist. Not bad.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments