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Quins' verdict on a first try in 134 league games for Will Collier
Harlequins scrum coach Adam Jones has given his reflections on the second-half try scored last Friday by tighthead Will Collier, who threw an exquisite dummy to fool the Bristol defence before racing in for the first score in his 134-game Premiership career. The twice-capped England tighthead made a March 2012 league debut off the bench versus Wasps but had to wait nearly ten years to break his scoring duck in the English top flight.
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Collier ended his Harlequins drought in sumptuous fashion, demonstrating creativity that would have done Marcus Smith proud, and it was left to Jones, the ex-Wales Grand Slam-winning tighthead, to describe the thing of beauty scored by his fellow front-rower.
“It had absolutely nothing to do with me,” quipped Jones on Tuesday about the sight of the 30-year-old, who earned his Test caps on the 2017 tour to Argentina, galloping away to scoring in last Friday’s pulsating clash in London which Harlequins won 52-24 having been 21 points down in the opening half.
“I guess it just shows the all-court game we are trying to play. People will think it was a flash in the pan but Will Collier will throw one of those dummies at least five or six times a week in training. One may come off and he will probably make a yard, but it was a beautiful moment. Never scored before in the Premiership. It just opened up for him.
“To be fair to him, he showed a bit of speed. He went away from the flanker and the scrum-half couldn’t catch him. I’d say an average celebration for a try of that skill for a prop. It will be a moment he will never forget. It set the result in stone. It was quite the dummy, I must say, but it had absolutely nothing to do with me. I don’t know if you ever saw me play rugby – I used to avoid the ball like the plague.”
'If you look at it in simple black and white, I joined Harlequins when they were tenth on equal points with the eleventh team.'
Paul Gustard on life during and after #Quins, the #URC and why he's happier now in @BenettonRugby writes @heagneyl ??? #COYQhttps://t.co/YbbJrGyR9X
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2021
Jones added that this show of skill by Collier was now typical of all players at Harlequins. “A lot of bodies touch the ball during the week so everybody is comfortable ball handling, comfortable in our ball carrying. I’d take the Mick out of Simon Kerrod. When we signed him he could barely catch the ball but now he can play. He can pass the ball, he can pass with both hands, he can pull the ball back in phase, he can tip under pressure. They have done the work and everyone is comfortable and if we want to play like we do, you have got to have that skill element in there.
“We are very good off turnover attack and that is when we play what is in front of us but our phase play is structured, we just happen to have some unreal ball carries and ball players. You would be doing Nick Evans a bit of a disservice that we are happy to go off-script.
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“It’s not just play in front of you, it’s coached. Everything you see on the field we train. Having certain X-factor players helps but the same in my (Wales) career, we didn’t just lob the ball to Shane (Williams) and expect some magic. We have players who in structure cause teams a lot of problems.”
"I was actually at Pennyhill Park on Tuesday. I was looking for him and I saw his wife and his little dog. We get the odd message." @SDLegion @ChrisRobshaw on Eddie Jones, life post @EnglandRugby & @Harlequins and the BaBas fiasco, writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/daJ8J1EYFn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
No Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
5 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
5 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
18 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to comments