Wasps leave Quins in knacker’s Yarde
ENGLAND WING CHOPPED BEFORE HUMBLIING DEFEAT
ENGLAND star Marland Yarde was axed for disciplinary reasons by Harlequins to cap a wretched weekend for the Londoners.
Yarde (right) failed to show up for Quins’ final training session ahead of their five-try thrashing by arch-rivals Wasps.
Although team boss John Kingston took quick and decisive action in dropping the 25-year-old winger from his side, the tone was set.
Harlequins were never at the races against opponents they had beaten on the same pitch last month to end Wasps’ twoyear unbeaten league record at home. And this humbling defeat all but ended their Champions Cup hopes after just two rounds, as well as handing Wasps their first win in six.
And there could be further trouble for the club after prop Joe Marler planted an elbow onto the head of Will Rowlands and was sent to the sin-bin.
England boss Eddie Jones will deliver his verdict on Marler and Yarde when he names his squad on Thursday to face Argentina in the first of three November internationals.
He is unlikely to be impressed with the no-show of Yarde, who was in contention for a wing berth with Lions’ duo Elliot Daly and Anthony Watson expected to be rested. The indiscipline of Marler, in line to start at loosehead prop against the Pumas, is also likely to cause him concern. An irritated Kingston hinted that he will drop Yarde to the reserves for a game but would say only: “It is an internal disciplinary matter and I have dealt with it. End of.” He did pledge to study the “skirmish” involving Marler, adding with a sigh: “It’s a bit like groundhog day, isn’t it?” Kingston referred to Quins’ last visit to the Ricoh Arena when Marler got involved with James Haskell and ended up being reprimanded with a citing commissioner’s warning.
Quins at least had a win to comfort themselves that day. This time there was unrelenting misery.
It started in the warm-up, when fly-half Marcus Smith took a blow to the head which needed six stitches.
And it finished in the final play of the game when Francis Saili was knocked out attempting a tackle.
The one bright spot for the watching Jones was a man of the match display by Nathan Hughes, England’s first-choice No.8 in the absence of Billy Vunipola.