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Clash Of The Champions – Harlequins and Leinster

Champions Cup is ahead with Leinster playing as host to Harlequins. They have already faced defeat against Harlequins recently in England. The Leinster’s are pumped up to perform. However they do have some advantage in the Champions Cup. The game which they played at Aviva was not satisfactory. The results of the Champions Cup matter as it will decide who will go in the lap of last eight.

In the Pool 2 Harlequins are currently at the top with 12 points. Leinster is at second place one shot behind of Harlequins. The final game of Leinster is in January of the group with the Wasps. The coverage of the match will be shown live on BT Sport 2. It will be shown at 7:15 pm. As far as the team of Leinster is concerned four changes have been made to the side as they want to fix the reverse stature. In the beginning of XV they have- Zane Kirchner, Kane Douglas, Isaac Boss and Dominic Ryan. On the Harlequins side Chris Robshaw and Nick Evans are going to miss the game due to knee injury. Apparently the two changes made Leinster lose. To replace them Jack Clifford and Tim Swiel are coming.

Going by the track record Leinster have won seven games out of their last nine in the competitions. On the Irish soil Harlequins have just one game under their belt out of last games of six. In the six years, Leinster has always made it to the quarter finals of the Champions Cup. Harlequins have six games amidst seven games in the Champions Cup. They are better at the Aviva Stadium in comparison to Leinster. Both the teams are happy with the way they are playing and feel that they have it in them to win against each other.

Harlequins Captain Apologizes For Poor Performance

Harlequins captain Joe Marler has reportedly sought apology on the social networking sphere for poor performance this time and has promised to get back in full glory by next week.
This was a kind of prosaic tone of describing 39-0 drubbing which was extended to Harlequins guys by Saracens in a match where Marler’s squad hardly came up with anything right. The Quins were so down par that the opponents didn’t require to come out of 3rd gear much.
Yes, it’s true that just 2 defeats are not enough to write the Quins off but the very poor manner by which these guys lost out to their rivals is seriously stressful for Harlequins rugby director.
There have been controversies on Harlequins’ captain switch from Robshaw (Chris) to Joe but certainly the latter shouldn’t be held liable for many players just failing to pass & catch the ball rightly. The devastating form that Harlequins are going through at present is not any simple domestic concern but it reaches out to English squad too. Joe has been seasoned now to this level that he can hand out serious competition to Corbisiero (Alex) at loosehead. Mike Brown and Danny Care invention sparks in some attacks that had otherwise seemed very formulaic, regardless of its great physical prowess.
Robshaw’s off form was quite a concern for his club but then again the star player has now returned to his old stellar form and has shut down all his critics with his latest massive performance. It is not only a great news for the Harlequins but also for Stuart Lancaster, head coach of the English rugby team. But then again Chris is yet to prove his present form is stellar enough to get him selected as the first choice for the Worlds.

Beach Rugby gaining popularity in Kenya

Rugby is one of the most popular sports in the country of Kenya. The people of the country are often plagued by several domestic and international problems but still find within them the spirit to enjoy sports. A team game like rugby helps a lot in the all round development of individuals. Beach Rugby has also come of age in the country. A number of clubs have been set up in the provinces which nurture new talent. However the major aim is to promote the spirit of the game. The Watamu five a side Beach Rugby that concluded recently proved to be a huge success among the players as well as the fans.
The final was played between the Masaku Rugby team and Mombasa Technical University at the Garoda Beach resort in Kilfy County. The special guests of the night included Kilfy county governor Amason Kingi. A huge number of spectators turned out for the event and voiced their support for their respective teams. Masaku won the match by demolishing the team representing the university as the score line stood at 20-5. Samuel Muregi and Kevin Macharia were the first two players to score ten points from their try attempts. Macharia was the star performer although his efforts were given some resistance by Kevin Omondi. Macharia became the top scorer of the tournament with a spectacular hat trick which put him on the same position as Joakim Mwasi of the Shaxx team. The semi final matches were convincingly won by both sides with Masaku defeating Gede and MTU beating Malindi.
Sharks lifted the Shield Cup and Shaxx emerged as the winners in the Bowl Final. The Beach Rugby event received great impetus as Airtel and Standard Group limited became the official sponsors. An exhibition match was also played between Airtel and the media team and the Kilfy County Assembly.

Ireland legend Driscoll looking to come to terms with retirement

Ireland has always taken enough pride in their rugby team. It is one of the major sports in the country and is followed by many. Ireland has been nurturing talent sin the sport since a long time. Their game is characterized by agility, power, tactics and a gritty attitude. The domestic clubs pay enough importance to the local talents. Clubs like Lancaster has achieved enough success in the international arena. Brian O’Driscoll who is considered as one of the greatest ever to play the game for Ireland has been a constant threat to the opponents in his central position. He has recently retired from the game after a record 141 tests that he has played over his career. But the idea do not seem to have sunk in to the superstar as of yet. This was visible when he addressed the press after Ireland’s triumph over France in the Six Nations Championships.
Joe Schmidt is the present coach of Ireland and the players have always seemed happy under him. When Brian was asked about the role of the coach in the team he said that they knew the way they wanted to play the game. But he smiled and checked himself by saying that he would not be involved in the team meeting. It has been a long journey of fourteen years for O’Driscoll and the fans as well as the officials were emotional at his decision to retire. Schmidt had worked with him earlier in Leinster for three years and their collaboration became a by word in the Ireland dressing room. Driscoll repented for not having beaten the All Blacks even once in his lifetime. His next few seasons will be under scrutiny as he has a lot of work to do for Leinster beginning from the Heineken Club quarter final against Toulon.

Harlequins FC announce Marler extension

Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club Harlequins FC has announced the contract extension of England prop Joe Marler by another two years, which will see him remain at the club till 2016.

Marler graduated from the famous academy of the club and since he was given his start with the senior squad in 2010, his rise has been phenomenal to say the least and he is considered as one of the most powerful players at front row in Europe at the moment.

The 23 year old has notched up over 100 appearances for the London club and he was instrumental in the club’s success in the European Challenge Cup in 2011 and the Aviva Premiership victory the following season.

The charismatic prop forward has gained international honors at every age group level for the national team and has 19 senior international caps to his name already after he made his debut for the England team during their summer tour of South Africa back in 2012.

His most recent achievement for the national was leading them to their first Triple Crown honor in ten years and he was a key player for Stuart Lancaster during the Six Nations Championship as well.

And Conor O’Shea, the Director of Rugby of Harlequins FC has announced his delight with the player pledging his future to the club.

He added that it is incredible for a player to have made over 100 senior appearances at 23 years of age.

O’Shea mentioned that Marler loves the club and knows it inside out and he wants to be a cornerstone for success for Harlequins FC and with his development as one of the best loose head props in international rugby, the club is surely in very good hands as it looks to a build a long legacy.

CAMACHO LEAVES HARLEQUINS

Gonzalo Camacho has left harlequins to join Exeter in a major deal. The 26-year-old Argentina international spent two seasons with Quins, appearing on 30 occasions for the London club.

Exeter boss Rob Baxter said: “He is a very tough competitive player which is obviously very attractive to us.

“He’s a really good signing for us and a different kind of player to what we have here already.”

With four recent international caps to his name, Camacho is likely to be in contention for a place in Argentina’s squad for the forthcoming World Cup in New Zealand.

EVANS BACKS HARLEQUINS FUTURE

Nick Evans has said that harlequins have a very prosperous future if they can build on that success. The New Zealander landed a touchline conversion of Gonzalo Camacho’s late try to snatch a 19-18 victory from Stade Francais in stunning fashion.

“I heard Sir Alex Ferguson say the first trophy’s the toughest,” he said.

“Now we have got this one, hopefully we can really push on and create a bit of a dynasty with the people we’ve got.”

Evans, at 30, is one of the senior citizens in a side in which nine of Friday’s starting XV were 25 or under.

HARLEQUINS SIGNS CHEESEMAN

Harlequins have officially confirmed the signing of centre Tom Cheeseman today.

The former Wales Under-19 international arrives at Quins from Newport Dragons, where he was on loan from Bath.

The 24-year-old, who made 83 appearances in six seasons at The Rec, has been brought in to cover for the injured Ollie Smith.

“He has a huge amount of experience, which will be valuable as we push on to the end of the season,” said Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea.

“With every squad being so stretched at this point in the season, we are delighted to be able to add a player of Tom’s calibre to the squad.”

LEWIS SIGNS NEW DEAL

Lewis Stevenson has signed a new contract with Ulster for two years. The 26-year-old, who will move after completing the season at Harlequins, is seen as a replacement for Ryan Caldwell who is leaving Ravenhill to join Bath.

Lewis Stevenson, who has represented Ireland at Schools, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, had an earlier spell with Ulster before joining Exeter Chiefs.

“It was always my intention to come back to Ulster with a bit of experience under my belt,” said Stevenson.

BROOKER GIVEN NEW DEAL

Harlequins Chris Brooker has been handed a new contract till 2013. The 24-year-old, who moved to The Stoop from Bath in 2007, has made 56 appearances for the Londoners.

Brooker is the latest English-qualified young front rower to re-sign for Quins after Joe Marler and James Johnston also recently agreed new contracts.

“I am really happy to have re-signed for Quins,” he said. “This is a team that has so much potential, and a great team spirit.”