Harlequins vs Bristol LIVE rugby: Latest updates from Premiership clash with Joe Marler set to bow out
After a busy autumn of international action, the Premiership returns with what should be an enteertaining clash
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Your support makes all the difference.The Premiership returns with a potential thriller as two of the league’s most entertaining sides clash at the Twickenham Stoop.
Harlequins welcome the high-flying Bristol Bears to their southwest London home with the visitors eyeing top spot in a hugely competitive campaign. Pat Lam’s side have continued to embrace their free-wheeling identity and enjoyed an encouraging start to the season, with a win over champions Northampton before the November international action leaving them well placed.
The hosts, meanwhile, sit six points behind their opponents and within striking distance of the top four. While there is no Marcus Smith tonight as he rests after a busy Autumn Nations Series with England, Alex Dombrandt returns to captain the side. More significantly, the club will say farewell to a legend in Joe Marler, who has brought forward his retirement from rugby from the end of the season to tonight and starts on the loosehead for the final time.
Follow all of the latest from the Stoop in our live blog below:
Harlequins coach Danny Wilson hoping defensive improvements bring rewards
“We’ve worked hard over the beginning part of the season on our defence,” Danny Wilson said this weekend. “We looked at the Bristol game at the end of last season, we were in the lead on 58 minutes and we ended up getting beaten quite comfortably. You can’t switch off for a second against a team like Bristol. They will play quick lineouts, quick taps, play from deep. They play a lot of rugby and they do it well. So our defensive game will need to be on top of the detail to know what’s coming, we’ve trained a lot on that this week.
“Also, we’re an attacking side that scores tries ourselves and we’ve got players who can do that. We showed that in our last game against Exeter with a number of internationals missing, so I’m excited about what we can bring in attack. I think it’s going to be a really exciting occasion. Hopefully not too stressful, but I’m sure it will be exciting.
“We put a bit a little bit more time focus on our defence because we needed to do that. But you’ve still seen our identity in attack, we’ve scored plenty of tries. Our lineout attack has been good, whether it is a strike off the lineout or a maul try. When we are getting into those positions, we seem to be taking them. If we can develop the weapon where we have a set-piece attack and an unstructured attack.”
Harlequins boss pays tribute to retiring Joe Marler
“Joe’s a remarkable character on and off the pitch and hugely popular with our supporters,” Danny Wilson said this week.
“In retirement he should rightly be recognised for his outstanding achievements for both club and country.
“In the modern game, it’s rare that players stay at one club for the duration of their professional career and that can’t be overlooked.”
Joe Marler set to say farewell
Joe Marler has brought forward his retirement plans after announcing that Harlequins’ Friday night clash with Bristol at The Stoop will be his final match.
Marler’s decision to hang up his boots comes three and a half weeks after he brought his time with England to an end.
The 34-year-old prop had indicated he would continue playing club rugby until the end of the season but he now bow out in front of Quins fans tonight.
Joe Marler shockingly changes retirement plans as announcement made
The 34-year-old prop will play his final match on Friday when Harlequins host Bristol
Team news - Bristol
The visitors hand a debut to summer signing Viliame Mata, who is finally fit to feature after an injury-hit start to life in Bristol. A long injury and unavailability list, particularly in the front row, opens an opportunity for Lovejoy Chawatama to feature for the Bears in the Premiership for the first time as he takes on his former club.
Bristol XV: 1 Jake Woolmore, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 3 Max Lahiff; 4 James Dun, 5 Joe Owen; 6 Santiago Grondona, 7 Fitz Harding (captain), 8 Viliame Mata; 9 Kieran Marmion, 10 AJ MacGinty; 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 13 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 14 Jack Bates; 15 Rich Lane.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Benjamin Grondona; 21 Oscar Lennon, 22 Joe Jenkins, 23 Benjamin Elizalde.
Team news - Harlequins
Joe Marler starts for one final time as a professional rugby player with the Harlequins loosehead set to bow out of the sport after this fixture. With Marcus Smith unavailable after his England exertions, Jarrod Evans is stationed at fly half, but Alex Dombrandt is able to feature and captains from number eight.
Harlequins XV: 1 Joe Marler, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Simon Kerrod; 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Dino Lamb; 6 Jack Kenningham, 7 Will Evans, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain); 9 Will Porter, 10 Jarrod Evans; 11 Cadan Murley, 12 Luke Northmore, 13 Oscar Beard, 14 Rodrigo Isgro; 15 Tyrone Green.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 George Hammond, 20 James Chisholm; 21 Danny Care, 22 Jamie Benson, 23 Nick David.
TNT Sports encouraged by Autumn Nations Series viewing figures
The November rugby internationals have seen strong levels of interest across Europe with executives at governing bodies and broadcasters understood to be pleased with viewing figures.
TNT Sports, who are in their first year as the UK broadcaster of the Autumn Nations Series after taking over from Amazon, are said to be particularly encouraged by the week-on-week growth in interest in their first significant, sustained involvement in international rugby.
The England vs South Africa clash set a new record rugby audience for the channel, formerly BT Sport, with interest in line with top Premier League and Champions League games.
TNT Sports encouraged by Autumn Nations Series viewing figures
Exclusive: England vs South Africa set a new record for a rugby audience on the channel with executives across the game pleased with growth ahead of a vital time in the television rights market
Marcus Smith insists he is still developing despite praise from Eddie Jones
Marcus Smith insists he is still a work in progress despite emerging from the autumn as England’s most influential player.
While Smith’s ability to get the most out of his backline is now a topic of debate, he left Allianz Stadium on Sunday with praise from Japan boss Eddie Jones ringing in his ears.
Jones, England’s head coach from 2015 to 2022, gave the 25-year-old his Test debut in 2021 and marvels at the player he has become.
“I look at Marcus today, having brought him in when he was young. Now he’s so competent in his decision making,” Jones said after Japan’s 59-14 mauling.
Marcus Smith insists he is still developing despite praise from Eddie Jones
Jones, England’s head coach from 2015 to 2022, gave the 25-year-old his Test debut in 2021.
Why have the southern hemisphere sides been so dominant this autumn?
There is one more internationaal fixture yet to go before November is out, Andy Farrell’s Ireland taking on Joe Schmidt’s Australia in a rather tasty hors d’ouevre ahead of next summer’s British & Irish Lions banquet. Can the Wallabies sign off with a win and continue a November where the Rugby Championship nations have proved strong? Luke Baker explores the southern supremacy:
Why have the southern hemisphere sides been so dominant this autumn?
South Africa, New Zealand and Australia have consistently beaten the Six Nations sides during this Autumn Nations Series and Sam Warburton explains why that is
RFU chief paid £1.1m despite record losses and job cuts
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney is to be paid £1.1m for the last financial year despite the governing body reporting record losses and making 42 staff redundant.
The RFU’s annual report, that includes its accounts for the year until June 30, shows an operating loss of £37.9m - the highest it has recorded.
Also within the report is the remuneration for board directors which shows that Sweeney is being paid a combined salary and bonus of £742,000 as well as a one-off sum of £358,000, lifting the total to £1.1m.
Sweeney’s salary is an 8.5 per cent increase over 12 months after he was paid £684,000 in 2023.
RFU chief paid £1.1m despite record losses and job cuts
The RFU’s annual report shows an operating loss of £37.9m - the highest it has recorded
What next for England after frustrating autumn? Five questions Steve Borthwick must answer before Six Nations
A record of just five wins from 12 games in 2024 reflects a year of missed chances for England. From Lyon in the spring to Auckland in the summer right through to three defeats in November, Steve Borthwick’s side repeatedly put themselves in winning positions this year yet, come the crunch, failed or faltered.
After a third-place finish at last year’s World Cup, the team has undergone a relatively significant regeneration. Nine new caps have made their international debuts, while other relatively inexperienced individuals like Tommy Freeman and George Furbank have been given new prominence within the set-up.
While their final-quarter collapses have undermined much of the progress made, Borthwick is confident he has the pieces in place to build a winning team. The head coach has regularly cited the youthful age profile of his squad while retaining a senior leadership group he has full faith in. He is confident that the upheaval caused by the shock departures of defence coach Felix Jones and strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters will not be repeated.
But the start of the Six Nations is highly demanding: a trip to Ireland on the opening weekend is followed by a first home clash with France since a record defeat at Twickenham in 2023. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have set an ambitious ask of four wins from five in the spring campaign, something England have not achieved since the 2020 edition.
Here are five key questions that Borthwick must address to set England up for success.
What next for England after frustrating autumn? Five key questions to answer
Three defeats from four games in November left England ruing their missed opportunities but there was encouragement to take from some aspects of their play
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