O'Shea relieved after win
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea says he is relieved after a much needed win against Exeter.
Harlequins won the Premiership encounter over the weekend 40-13 to take a lot of pressure away from the club. O'Shea says it as a vital victory that should have a positive effect on the team over the next
few weeks.
Harlequins has not started the season as many predicted. The club is tipped with a great chance of making the top four but currently sits mid-table in seventh with only nine points.
The performance of the team was much better in a number of areas against Exeter. The win can benefit the side in a number of different ways ahead of some important matches.
Big improvements
O'Shea has praised the way the side was deadlier against Exeter. Harlequins controlled long spells during the match and pounced on any chance to score. The players grew in confidence because of this.
The side did the basic things right and played to the strengths of key players. Nick Evans did not put a single kick wide and scored an impressive 20 points that kept Exeter on the back foot throughout.
The side won penalties in key areas that made it easy for Evans to score.
Harlequins played the whole match with a vibrancy and pace that has been missing over recent weeks. The fans noticed this and created a hostile atmosphere. This is something that Exeter boss Rob Baxter
says put his side on edge from the first minute.
O'Shea said: "We've been very frustrated with our start to the season.
We needed the win desperately because supporters forget how we played in those games without winning, but it was not a perfect performance, just a badly needed victory.
We studied referee Sean Davey beforehand and he gave four penalties against us in the first half, two were right in my opinion, two were not."
Big benefits
The win has a number of benefits ahead of some important games coming up. The club has to remember the feelings of belief and confidence. This will help in matches against
better opponents.
Harlequins is not a small rugby club and every person in the club has big ambitions for this season. The win creates some momentum that can lead to more wins. This can
put the club near the top of the table before the turn of the year.
O'Shea seems to have found a set of tactics that works for the side. These will be tweaked but the coach has a formula that gets the best out of the players in the side.
O'Shea added: "They are a good Exeter team and there is no question that having
two men binned makes a big difference and that cost them. But we wanted to see where we were after five games and once we've played a hugely motivated Newcastle next
week we'll have a much clearer picture."
Betting advice
Harlequins is a very good bet to be in the top four by next spring. However, there is also Bath, Northampton, Leicester, Saracens, Sale and Gloucester to keep an eye on.
The defining period for Harlequins comes over the next few weeks.
O'Shea seems determined to keep everyone motivated and focused through training this week. This will give the side a great chance of a win at Newcastle. Back the team to
win by a low to middle-range points total.
Evans is a great player to back at the moment. He is scoring points consistently in matches and is good value to be top scorer at the club in any match or by the end of
the season.
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