Futures at stake for Quins against Stormers

Under-pressure Harlequins coach Jason Gilmore has made it clear ahead of Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash against the Stormers that squad cuts are looming.

While the Stormers arrive in London riding the wave of an unbeaten season, Quins are playing for far more than points.

They have endured a torrid campaign, winning just four of their 15 matches across competitions, and last weekend’s 66-21 hammering by Northampton prompted a blunt club statement declaring recent results “not acceptable”.

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Gilmore has warned players that performances over the coming weeks will determine their futures at the club.

“The fact of the matter is, we do have a lot of players on contract,” he said.

“We’re looking at the spend that we put into the squad to make sure that we’re getting most bang for our buck. And the boys are aware of that.

“What is the ideal number of contracts? Where do we put our spend into and what do we actually need?”

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Harlequins have lost a host of world-class players in recent seasons, including Springboks Andre Esterhuizen and Wilco Louw, along with the likes of English stalwarts Joe Marler, Danny Care and Joe Marchant.

Gilmore said he was focused on reviving Harlequins’ trademark attacking style, while emphasising the need for physicality in defence.

“How much are we prepared to fight?” he added. “It’s just not about being on the back foot, it’s about arresting momentum in the game and making sure that we keep on top.”

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