Chris Laidlaw press conference | Bristol Bears vs Harlequins Women

Harlequins Women's Defence Coach Chris Laidlaw spoke to the media ahead of Saturday's PWR Round 16 fixture against Bristol Bears.

He discussed a range of topics including:

• Reflections on the performance against Trailfinders
• What his side have worked on this week
• The impact the Black Fern Internationals have had on the PWR

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi guys.

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hey Gravis, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Yoshalph.

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Yeah, not too bad, thank you. Um could we kick off with um any injury updates for the squad?

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Just the same as last week.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Perfect. Um and then just uh an overall review of the game against Trailfinders last week.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Yeah, Luca, I think immediately post and probably for 24 hours after, we were obviously um frustrated and and disappointed with the way it kind of ended for us. I think we'd done a lot of good stuff to get to the point where we managed to wrestle it back with about five to go. And um, yeah, unfortunately couldn't couldn't see out the last the last five post our try. And that's probably something we've post-Christmas have probably done pretty well in terms of the later stages of games. So um yeah, that was definitely frustrating. I thought you know, Elon had a lot of the possession and territory, especially within that first half, and we stood up and and defended a heck of a lot in our 22. I think they had about five entries within the first 25 minutes, and and ultimately we're only seven points up. So I think that's progress for us as a group around the resilience in our 22. But um, yeah, ultimately disappointed obviously with the with the result, and um it kind of takes it out of our hands, I suppose, in terms of the the top four a little bit, but um yeah, we we've got to keep moving on and and see what we can do in the next this week and then post-six nations.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

And then looking, I guess, back at the Trailfinders game and ahead of the the game against Bristol at the weekend, um, what key areas are you looking at without giving me um any spoilers of what are you looking at developing and getting that um that that bonus point of win that you need to put yourself into contention for the knockout rounds?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Yeah, I look we're well aware that we need we need the five points this weekend to stay in contention. I think the couple of the big bits post-dealing was probably discipline. I think um there were 21 penalties, not all of them were given because of the advantages, but that's uh that's a massive number of penalties, um, especially in the middle part of the pitch. I think we conceded around 10 to 12 in the middle part of the pitch, which if you can stay controlled and um whether that's attack or defense, then you maybe then get an entry into the opposition 22. But we we gave that middle of the pitch up quite easily and and gave Elon access to R half or R22, um, as well as then repeated infringements in your 22, which can happen when you're under pressure and that close to your goal line. But I think we've probably looked at the ones further up the pitch and how we stay controlled and um and cut some of them out, um, whether they're collective things or individual, um, to make sure that we're applying pressure and not releasing the pressure valve so easily on ourselves. Um, so that would definitely be one thing. And I think you know, we we want to sort of control the game a little bit more, probably in the early parts of the game and not have to be um you know chasing the the scoreboard back and and kind of imposing our game earlier. Um so that's something that we'll be definitely looking looking to do heading into this weekend down at the Principality.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

And just finally, um Sarah Parry has been called up for the Red Roses um ahead of the Six Nations. What are you excited to see from her in terms of her inclusion in the squad and development when coming back to Quinn's for the back end of the season?

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Yeah, look, I think it's credit to her to the fact that she's in there now in the way that she she goes about her work and and the way she's performed. Like she's been yeah, one of our standout performers, definitely, and and that's the reason that she's in and amongst that group. So she's got an incredible work ethic. Um, she's obviously physical and combative in her carries and her collision stuff defensively. Um, and I think even from where she was last year to where she is now, a young, up-and-coming prospect, like the development in her game, like she's her run game, her pass game, and and also her kick game. Like she put an exceptional kick up on Friday night in the middle of the pitch. Um, and it resulted in a turnover from off the back of that. And I think you're just starting to see like some of the the work that she does behind the scenes coming to fruition within the game, and um, and that's credit to her and and the group that's around her as well, pushing her on. Like, we've got a lot of good young, up-and-coming English um players within our environment, and I think they're all hungry to to kick on. And I think when you see one of your own um getting into that environment, I think it spurs the others on around her as well to be like, I want a bit of that, and that's only healthy for us. So um look, I'm excited. I hope, you know, hopefully for us and for Sarah, she gets that opportunity in the Six Nations, she'll she'll be giving it her all, and she's she's a competitor, so I know that she'll be um yeah, challenging hard within that environment to try and get in a match day 23.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Amazing. Thank you, Chris. Best of luck for the weekend.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Thank you very much. Helen Wheels.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

Hi, Chris, how are you?

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yeah, good, Helen. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Good, good, good. Just following on a little bit from what Katie was saying, with the with you beating trailfiners at Ealing and them beating you at your place, it sort of like it epitomizes the way the PWR has been this season, I think. Um and speaking to a few of the head coaches this week, they reckon that it's the best PWR season yet. I don't know what you think about that.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Yeah, look, I've only been involved, so this is my second season. Um, but I think you just need to look at the nature and the the contest, how tight they've been, the league table the way it currently is. Um that sort of look, I think Saris and Gloucester are probably um a cut above at this point in time, and and the the table would tell you that. But I think below that it's um yeah, it's a real competitive um pack of teams that are are ultimately fighting it for those those two spots um that are remaining within the top four. So I think the the competitiveness, the the level and standard has definitely increased from last year, and um and that's what you want, isn't it, as a domestic competition, um the best one in the world. Like we've got to we've got to keep kicking that on, and um I definitely would say this season has been that.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

And uh do you think it's down to the standards raising all around, or do you think there's particular things that influence that? Because something else that's come up is the fact that we've had now quite a lot of the black ferns coming over, obviously for you guys too, um, and a lot of there's a lot of Canadians like everywhere you look. And has do you think that has sort of helped raise the standard?

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Oh, without a shadow of doubt, and I think it's not just a standard on the pitch as well, isn't it? The to get to the standard on the pitch of the weekend, it's the environments that are created to to help that. Um, and then it's the players within it and the staff within it to so when you've got players coming in, like uh I can only speak on behalf of us, but like uh Liana McKelly too, um the way that she goes about her work and the professionalism that she shows um in the way that she prepares every week, I think then rubs off on on everyone around her. And um, we've got obviously a strong group of red roses that are that are similar, and um the professionalism of of those players is definitely driving um the standard within each and everyone's environment, but then ultimately the what you see is the the outcome at the weekend. So um it's it's great, isn't it? Getting people from from different countries and backgrounds and cultures, and the challenge for us as coaches and and teams is to to mold that and bring it together as harlequins and um and get the performances and and the results at the weekend.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

It feels like if you could persuade them to stay, people like Lee, because watching her has been an absolute joy, um, then it next season could be even better. I mean, I don't know if if contract conversations have already gone on.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Yeah, it's probably above my pay grade to be fair, but um yeah, Luke, I think there's there's a bigger piece, isn't there, around what what every country is looking to do in in their game and domestically, like you're probably seeing that now in with the Catholic Challenge, for example, in Wales and Ireland and Scotland. Like, what what do they want to do and and how do they best serve their national programmes? What does that look like and and how does that then affect the PWR? And it's the same for Canada, US, um, New Zealand. Um so yeah, watch the space, I guess it's who who knows how it all takes shape, but I can only speak on behalf of this season. Like those individuals have definitely added a heck of a lot to our environment and and ultimately the competition.