Herdman is determined to keep winning feeling going at Quins

AFTER a strong finish to last season, when a late surge in form helped Belfast Harlequins manage to dodge relegation, the Deramore side have started this one with some promise.

A good run in the Ulster League was backed up by last weekend’s opening AIL victory at Galway Corinthians to give Nicky Wells’ squad some added belief in this campaign.

Quins hooker Saul Herdman said of the win at Corinthians: “This time last year we probably would have bottled that.

“But we just kept going and we got the win.”

Quins host Sunday’s Well tomorrow and Herdman knows that getting on top up front will be essential.

“We haven’t lost a game at Deramore so far this season and hopefully we can keep the ball rolling,” said Herdman.

Also in 2B, Rainey Old Boys are looking to hit back when they host Wanderers a week after succumbing to a heavy defeat at Barnhall.

South African hooker George Fritz plays his first game this season, while Tim Barker moves from No.8 to the second row and Scott McClean shifts from centre to full-back.

Elsewhere in 2B, Dungannon are at Sligo while in 2A Queen’s University travel to Highfield.

In 2C, Bangor host Thomond in confident mood after their impressive seven-try win at Malahide.

Declan Maguire is expected to start at out-half as Oscar Yandell has left for university.

City of Derry are at Bruff, while Omagh host Malahide. Div2A: Highfield v QUB.

Div 2B: Quins v Sunday’s Well, Sligo v Dungannon, Rainey v Wanderers.

Div 2C: Bangor v Thomond, Bruff v Derry, Omagh v Malahide. “I STILL come back to that session even now, even at schoolboy level, as an example of what it can mean when you have one of those team runs,” says Simon Mason of Ulster’s disastrous last session before their European Cup semi-final against the mighty Parisians Stade Francais.

“It was without doubt the worst team run I’ve ever been involved in in my entire life. We couldn’t train at Ravenhill. We were in the school just behind the stadium, and we couldn’t pass the ball from one person to the next. We couldn’t win a line-out. People were nearly in tears.

“I think that was when the nerves started to get to people. I remember afterwards thinking as long as we compete with them, we’ll be alright. I had all this family over from England, all staying in the Welly Park Hotel, and by the time the game was here, there was a part of you thinking as long as we don’t get battered, it’ll be an alright day.”

Shockingly, they led by a point at half-time, and just after the restart came a piece of history — largely accidental history. Gathering from the base of a retreating scrum, No.9 Andy Matchett fired a strong flat pass into David Humphreys. The expectation was that the out-half would offer the first serve in a game of kick tennis: fire the ball long in the hope that, at the very best, he’d find a patch of grass and gain an edge in the territory battle.

The beauty of Humphreys, of course, was that he didn’t always deal in the expected. Instead of looking for distance or the sideline, the out-half chipped delicately forward, finding not just space but space in an area where his side would be able to regather the ball.

“I didn’t really see it,” says Harry Williams. “I had my head in my hands. I was sat where I could see all the space up the sideline where he should have booted it. What do coaches know, eh?”

Contrary to popular belief, the move was neither improvised nor perfectly executed. Humphreys’ kick fell into the arms of Sheldon Coulter, who, running furiously after taking the catch, suddenly found that there was only Sebastien Viars, and some half of the field, between himself and the try line.

“David and I were having a conversation before the scrum,” he says. “The original plan was just to take the pass and put the ball as deep into the stand as it would go. But we were stood there and the more we talked it through, the more we just