RL Quins vs Leeds 14th June 2008

We left the office about 4 (being a Saturday we were on our own time, so keeping hours didn’t matter). To Waterloo and a train to Twickenham. The late afternoon had become very warm - humid and sticky.

At Twickenham there was no problem finding the stadium as a steady stream of fans (both Leeds and Quins) was walking from the station along suburban semi-detached streets to the stadium (the Stoop Stadium in Langhorn Drive, not the national stadium).

We paid our money and went in at the south east corner (persistent smell of fried onions). We got ourselves a drink. We walked round to the Lexus stand and found our seats half-way up on the right.

Not impressed with Douglas’s two rugby mates who seemed a bit juvenile. The sun came down really hot (it was nearly six o’clock by this time). Nickleback’s Rockstar bawled out of the sound system.



On the pitch the long-haired Quins cheerleaders were performing their routines. Some of the players were warming up, lying on their backs on the grass and raising their pumped-up limbs like hydraulic weeble men. All around us the seats were filling up.



At six exactly the teams formally ran out onto the pitch, holding hands with the tiny mascots. Coloured tickertape fell down on them. Loud cheers around the stadium, everyone standing up.

The only players I recognised were Henry Paul (famous for being the brother of Robbie Paul) for RL Quins and Jamie Peacock for Leeds. Although they are physically tall, all the players looked short from where we were sitting because of the way their arm and leg muscles bulged out sideways. The game got off to a slow start, and then started to speed up.

On television rugby league looks a claustrophobic game because of all the close-ups, so I was surprised at how fast it was, and the distances the players covered. Generally Quins got the better of Leeds. At every Quins success dance music (Watch Out by Alex Gaudino) played loud over the sound system.

Half-time we went down to get some more beer. Everyone seemed to be drinking beer and eating chips. Tiffany (I think we’re alone now) played loudly.



Number 15 (Chris Melling) was the most impressive Quins player, with many flashes of real brilliance and the speed the crowd wanted. Unselfish, courageous, intelligent, he crashed into the Leeds opposition with a juddering impact you could see was inflicting pain and consternation. When a vicious little fight broke out he tried to calm things down (the referee sent one of the Leeds players into the sin bin).

Towards the end of the match it became obvious RL Quins was going to win. The chanting and singing in the Lexus stand became continuous. “Stand up young London” the sound system ordered, and everyone in the Lexus stand stood up and clapped and cheered.

RL Quins beat Leeds 28 - 24.



This was the first rugby league game I had been to. I was aware of rugby league from occasional stars like Sean Long and Robbie Paul (still famous for his performance in the 1996 Challenge Cup). Plus I had read This Sporting Life by David Storey.

Jamie Peacock’s autobiography No White Flag has just been published: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamie-Peacock-No-White-Flag/dp/0752446126

He obviously got the title from the Dido song, which is one of my favourites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMB4xtnFlvo