'I'm sad for the board, I'm sad for the club and I'm sad for the fans'
Harlequins boss Paul Gustard admitted the 41-27 defeat by Bath was a blow to everyone connected with staging the Gallagher Premiership’s first test event.
A total crowd of 3,500 that included 2,700 fans gathered at Twickenham Stoop as a successful pilot for rugby following the five-month interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Quins made a blistering start and scored a try through centre Joe Marchant, but once Ruaridh McConnochie ran in the first of his two touchdowns, they faded from contention.
“I’m sad for the board, I’m sad for the club and I’m sad for the fans, but also I’m massively sad for the team because they weren’t able to put the performance in,” head of rugby Gustard said.
“I’m disappointed with the performance. It’s sad that we had 3,500 people in here but didn’t get the result we want.
“From the point of view of normality, it was great to see a crowd back. For the first 20 minutes we gave them something to cheer about, for the next 50 we didn’t.
“Making the top four seems very tough now. The top four are pulling away now and leaving people like ourselves behind.”
Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper hopes the event in south west London heralds the return of fans at grounds across the league.
“It’s imperative to get fans back as soon as possible and as safely as possible. It felt exciting,” Hooper said.
“To see and hear supporters and to feel the excitement build around the stadium was a big step forward. As soon as we can get it done safely around the country, then let’s get it done.”
McConnochie produced a classy finish in each half to propel Bath out of sight in a one-sided bonus-point victory that was effectively over two minutes into the second half once the England wing had scored his second.
Eddie Jones was watching from the stands and could add to the former seven specialist’s two caps won during England’s autumn campaign last year.
“The first try was just reward for chasing the kick. Often those go unnoticed but he does so much unseen work it’s incredible,” Hooper said.
“The second try was class. It was quality because he takes the ball in very little space on the left and dances his way down the touchline.
“But you also see his little step at the end for the finish. It was very calm and at the moment he’s on fire.
“Ruaridh loves playing for Bath and giving a good account of himself. If he keeps doing that he’ll definitely play for England again.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments