I guess the start of any season is a difficult time for a rugby squad and its coaching team; so mistakes will occur and, regarding the matter positively, the manner in which these mistakes are dealt with can add spice and an increased heart rate for those watching. Which makes it a difficult time for the spectators!

Getting the most important errors in last week's encounter out of the way first it will always be tough to claim maximum points if your side is reduced by one for fully half an hour of the match. Yet this is the price of lack of precision...no malice was involved in any of the ten minute rests given to three of the visitors.

Other than that, this performance was more forthright and more enterprising than that offered up the previous week; lineout and scrum went well against a bigger set of forwards and the OAs shaded efforts in the loose all afternoon. The close defence was at times magesterial and always uncompromising. On three occassions seemingly certain Quins scores were confounded at the last ditch and, turning defence into close attack, no less than three Oxford linesout came to grief courtesy of intense OA pressure.

26-10 read the half time score with the season's first bonus point in the bag and the day got better for the visitors when, immediately after half time, Dan Watt involved himself twice in a classy attacking move, handing off to Toby Ponsford who had no defenders left in front of him. Sam Jones fourth conversion of the day signalled the moment Albanian concentration waned.

Three home tries in less than fifteen minutes, two of them converted, turned the gulf of the margin into the merest rivulet as the hosts reprised the fine second half they'd enjoyed the week before. The difference for this period was simply one of intensity which, for the moment, Quins had in spades. But the Albanian defence held in the final extremity and play, for the first time in a long while moved into the Oxford 22. Back to basics and Mike Bond, reserve hooker this week was on hand to bring up the half dozen for his side.

Quins answered with a solitary penalty but time was unkind to them and the final whstle sounded with play in midfield.

Dan George pronounced himself pleased with the result and acknowledged the improvement over the previous week. Dorking visit Woollams next Saturday, Kickoff 3.00pm.