O'Shea: Quins kids will learn lessons (From Your Local Guardian)

O'Shea: Quins kids will learn lessons

9:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Stuart Amos

Director of rugby Conor O’Shea may have seen his Quins kids notch back-to-back defeats in the LV=Cup, but he insisted the pleasure at the end of the season will be worth the pain.

Harlequins crashed 45-40 at Cardiff Blues to exit the domestic cup competition ahead of this Saturday’s Premiership clash with London Irish.

With 10 players on international duty over the last fortnight and the likes of Nick Easter, Nick Evans, Danny Care, Ollie Kohn and James Johnston all rested, it has been very much the club’s understudies thrust into the limelight.

But, while O’Shea admitted the two results were disappointing, he reckoned the club will be in rude health come the Premiership run-in.

“The only way you learn is by playing in these games and they have now been exposed to a full house at the Stoop and a close game against an experienced Cardiff side,” he said.

“I have been massively encouraged by the last two weeks.

“The defeats weren’t for the lack of effort, we just lost our way a little bit and that is what you get with young players. But they will learn.

“We wanted to win the games, but it is also about looking toward performances in the future.

“Every single person in our squad is going to have to play a part in the run in and this is only going to stand them in good stead and we will be stronger for it.”

Easter, Evans, Care, Kohn and Johnston are set to return for this weekend’s visit of Irish as do England Saxons stars Chris Brooker, Joe Gray, Matt Hopper, George Robson and Karl Dickson.

Ugo Monye, who picked up a knock in the Saxons 35-0 defeat in Scotland, is expected to sit out the game as will knee injury victim Maurie Fa’asavalu, who is ruled out until March.