Harlequins stumble as Clermont test awaits
Harlequins will head to Clermont Auvergne to start their European Champions Cup campaign next weekend after suffering a third Premiership defeat.
Their match in France will be against a side who can afford way more in terms of cash to pay players than English teams, due to a higher salary cap.
So, after a week in which Saracens were fined £5.36million and docked 35 points for breaking the Premiership’s salary cap, the resumption of European completion will emphasise that the playing field is far from level.
But, 10 years on from Harlequins’ infamous “Bloodgate” scandal during their Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Leinster, head of rugby Paul Gustard remained tight-lipped about whether Europe’s leading club competition was fair.
He said: “I am not going to talk about it. We ground out results to get the right to play in the Champions Cup and we have got that honour and now we have to respect that by playing well.”
As for the match itself, Harlequins started like a train but hit the buffers. Gustard said: “The first 15 was very good, then we made too many errors.”
It was, though, a first away win for months in the Premiership for Worcester. Fly-half Jono Lance had put the Warriors ahead with a penalty, but in response No8 Alex Dombrandt zipped through a gap and under the posts.
Minutes later, Harlequins went further in front as captain James Chisholm pounced on a loose ball to touch down. From there, both sides spluttered to half-time, yet two more Lance penalties brought the visitors to within a try of their opponents.
With 12 minutes left, pressure in the Quins 22 saw Warriors full-back Jamie Shillcock race past his opposite number Ross Chisholm to the corner. Lance converted, then booted his fourth penalty to end a miserable day for Quins before their French trip. The Warriors head to Russia for a European Challenge Cup clash with Enisei-STM.