If you cast your minds back to Round 22 then Harlequins finished their season with a vital losing bonus point to secure Champions Cup rugby. Of course it was peculiar to celebrate a loss however the importance of not having to add two more matches onto their season was known and as a result the London outfit headed home from Northampton happy.
In terms of the pre-season conversation then I think that it’s fair to say that not a huge amount has been said about John Kingston’s Harlequins. While some clubs have been discussed at length, the London outfit have gone under the radar slightly and just got on with their business behind closed doors. So what are the headlines that stand out leading into the 2017-18 season?
First and foremost it has to be the movement of Nick Evans from a integral part of the playing squad to a member of the coaching team. The Kiwi has been such an influential leader and driving force at the club since 2008 that contemplating the future without him is taking some getting used to. The need to have a commanding and assured fly-half is a rugby fundamental and right now Harlequins have four individuals that will be looking to grab the ten jersey and make it theirs. Demetri Catrakilis, Tim Swiel, James Lang and Marcus Smith will all be vying for pole position and the competition between the four must produce fireworks (of the best kind) for Harlequins to flourish this season. For the past few weeks Marcus Smith’s name has been thrust into the spotlight due to Eddie Jones’ positive words about him and there’s no doubt that England’s head coach would enjoy seeing him start tomorrow at Twickenham Stadium. Why? Well because round one of a new Premiership season, in front of 50,000 plus people, would tell him a lot about the young man.
Elsewhere in the playing squad I certainly can’t wait to see Francis Saili in the quarters of Harlequins and playing Premiership rugby week in and week out. If you watched Munster in the Champions Cup or PRO12 last season then you’ll know all about his ability to beat defenders with his pace and footwork as well as combining that with great hands and physicality. He’s a dynamic rugby player, one that I think will thrive and the fact that he will be at the club all year around is crucial.
As always with Quins heir season’s success will be determined, in a larg part, by their success or not during the international windows. If injuries strike during that time then history shows that early season hard work can be undone in a flash and clawing that back towards the end of the 22 rounds is tough. Champions Cup rugby could also stretch them because with Wasps, La Rochelle and Ulster Rugby in Pool 1 for company it's not a group for the feint-hearted. As I mentioned when it came to looking at Leicester Tigers, Harlequins’ first choice 23 can turn heads and really make a stand but behind that others have to step up and drive that consistency across all 22 rounds if they're to fulfil their potential this season.
Over the course of the summer the re-signings of their senior players reinforces the tight-knit club that they are and ambitions remain strong to get them back to the heights of old. However the competition moves on season and now it’s time for Harlequins to show that their building as strongly, if not stronger, than those around them in order to press on and move back up the table.
Opening Six Matches: London Irish (Twickenham Stadium), Gloucester Rugby (H), Wasps (A), Leicester Tigers (H), Northampton Saints (A) and Sale Sharks (H).
Champions Cup Group: Pool 1 - Wasps, La Rochelle, Harlequins and Ulster Rugby
