Rugby Union: Better days in store for Quins

Harlequins 56 Caledonia 35

When Dick Best, the Harlequins director of rugby, says "We have been incestuous for too long now, playing amongst ourselves. We need contact with outside teams. We've got to have a world game", it is impossible to miss the irony of the fact his team have to travel to Leicester for the quarter-final stage of the Heineken Cup as they continue their quest to be the best in Europe.

Best is a man of vision but is guided by pragmatics. For instance, after viewing Will Carling's latest offering with the boot - a 50 per cent return - he promised: "We will go up to Leicester with a recognised kicker." But Carling was not half bad. His game at outside-half is expanding: there are more subtle touches and better options.

The former England captain admitted afterwards there was a long way to go with his kicking. "This time next year I will have improved," Carling said. "I've only been at it for a couple of months but I will get better."

So will Harlequins. If they found the going tough against a lively and dogged Caledonia, it could be explained in part by the gruelling programme they have just undergone - three hard games in seven days and no let-up in sight. Defeats against Brive and Sale shook them. "We had looked at this week as being a big test for us and we have not come through with flying colours," Best said. "We still have a certain amount of hard work to do in order to become a part of Europe's elite." And he felt that English rugby has had a rude awakening in the last month.

"I think there was a certain amount of arrogance on the part of the English clubs," Best said. "We have discovered that we are not as good as we think we are. This has brought us down a peg or two." There was probably never any real danger of that happening against Caledonia, who had been forced to draw on Third and Fourth Division clubs for half their playing strength. But, "put a Scot in a representative jersey and he will raise his game", Best said.

And raise it they did. Led by the former international flanker David McIvor, they never eased up. They hammered away at Quins, ripping through each time the home side flagged. It is not unreasonable to suppose that Quins had possibly tagged this as a points accumulator. A stout defence and quick-thinking counter-attacks dictated differently.

The crowded schedule continues apace with a midweek Anglo-Welsh confrontation against Llanelli (Best will be picking a different team) followed by an awkward local derby against Saracens in the Courage League next Saturday. Hardly ideal preparation for the quarter-final tie.

Harlequins: Tries Staples 3, Williams 2, O'Leary 2, Challinor, Paul; Conversions Carling 4; Penalty Carling. Caledonia: Tries McIvor 2, Officer, Newton; Conversions Shepherd 3; Penalties Shepherd 3.

Harlequins: J Staples; D O'Leary, R Paul, G Connolly (D Luger, 79), J Williams (P Challinor, 40); W Carling, H Harries; J Leonard (capt), K Wood, A Mullins, G O Llewellyn, A Snow, R Jenkins, L Cabannes, B Davison (M Watson, 37-42).

Caledonia: R Shepherd; D Officer, P Rouse (J Thomson, 65), A Carruthers, J Kerr; J Newton, P Simpson; T Smith (W Anderson, 42), K McKenzie, D Herrington, S Hamilton (C MacDonald, 65), S Grimes, D McIvor (capt), G Flockhart (S Hannah, 65), M Waite.

Referee: L Mayne (Limerick).