QUINS ARE MOVED BY A TRAGEDY
THE brutal gang killing of a south London teenager has provided an unlikely source of motivation for Harlequins’ tilt at Premiership glory.
Quins boss Paul Gustard is urging his players to seize the moment.
As he did a decade ago when offering practical support to the victim’s grief-stricken father.
Ahead of today’s final round of matches, Gustard’s team trail Northampton by one point in the race for fourth place and the last semi-final spot. Quins are at Wasps, Saints at table-topping Exeter.
With no room for further error, a screen at the Londoners’ training base repeatedly beams the message: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”
The author is Gustard, whose side have lost five of their last seven league games. By way of explanation England’s former defence coach tells a story.
“Ten years ago I was going through a divorce,” he said. “I was on the Tube reading about this guy who lost his son in a brutal attack.” Gustard explained how Les Persaud responded not by lashing out but instead offering to mentor son Stefan’s friends – who wanted to go after those responsible – to try to ensure they avoided a similar fate.
“I sat on the Tube thinking, ‘This guy looks like he could do with some help’,” recalled Gustard. “I thought, if not me, who? And if not now, when?”
He became actively involved, cleaned school toilets and ran a midnight half marathon in Brighton.
“I told this to the boys as a way of saying to them, step up, step up, because we are close,” said Gustard, daring them ‘to be great’.
“We are almost where we need to be.”
An emotional occasion is assured at the Ricoh, with Elliot Daly (above), Nathan Hughes and Willie le Roux playing their final game for Wasps.
Defeat for Quins would bring an abrupt end to the career of James Horwill, as would a win for Northampton – who have chosen not to recall Dylan Hartley after long-term injury.