Saturday 16 September 2000
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| 14:00-16:30 |
| Ford Rugby Union: Zurich Premiership - Harlequins Vs Bristol- Live |
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Mark Durden-Smith introduces the very latest live action from the Zurich Premiership as Harlequins take on Bristol at The Stoop. Commentary comes courtesy of Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes.
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| 22:00-23:30 |
| Rugby Union Update: Zurich Premiership Harlequins Vs Bristol |
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Mark Durden-Smith rucks and mauls his way through another selection of highlights from the Zurich Premiership match between Harlequins and Bristol. Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes describe the action from the pick of the latest round of matches.
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| 02:00-03:30 |
| Rugby Union Update: Zurich Premiership - Harlequins Vs Bristol Highlights |
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Mark Durden-Smith presents highlights from the Zurich Premiership match between Harlequins and Bristol. Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes provide the commentary.
Sunday 17 September 2000
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| 10:30-12:00 |
| Rugby Union Update: Zurich Premiership Harlequins Vs Bristol |
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Mark Durden-Smith hosts another selection of highlights from the Zurich Premiership match between Harlequins and Bristol. Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes describe the action.
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Harlequins v
Bristol: Saturday
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Jack Rowell
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Five games into
the Zurich Premiership season and these two clubs find themselves in the uncomfortable
position of preparing for a bottom-of-the-table clash, the outcome of which
could result in the sacking of their respective coaches.
Harlequins and
Bristol occupy two of the bottom three places after winning one and losing four
of their opening fives games. Only newly promoted Rotherham have a worse record,
hence the growing pressure on Bristol player-coach Dean Ryan and Quins No1 Zinzan
Brooke. Ryan, in particular, is having a tough time of it and defeat at The
Stoop will surely end his short spell in charge.
Former England
coach Jack Rowell has already been sounded out as a replacement for Ryan and
looks set to take up a new role at Bristol, irrespective of the result of this
match. Rowell, a non-executive director at Bristol, quit as coach Bath in 1994
to take over the England team but his business commitments outside the game
saw him eventually replaced by Clive Woodward in 1997. Bristol suffered their
fourth successive league defeat on Sunday when they were beaten 30-26 by London
Irish in front of a crowd of less than 3,000 at the Memorial Stadium. Club owner
Malcolm Pearce gave a vote of confidence to Ryan last week.
Rowell, who led
Bath to eight cup wins and five league titles, confirmed if business commitments
allowed he could become more involved with the club in some sort of support
role. "Something might or might not happen but first I have to button down my
day job," said Rowell. "I am the chief executive of a public limited company
and therefore there are Stock Exchange sensitive issues that need to be addressed
first."
There are even
more sensitive issues to be addressed at The Stoop, however, where Brooke apears
to be fighting a losing battle to turn things around. Quins continued their
poor start to the season last Saturday, losing 31-18 at home to Wasps. It was
their third defeat in a week, although injuries to key players are not helping
matters. Excuses, though, are likely to fall on deaf ears if Brooke and Co fail
to get a result this weekend.
Sportlist prediction:
Harlequins 16-16 Bristol
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