The Spurs of Prem Rugby: how Harlequins lost their swagger

Marcus Smith’s return from injury offers hope but Quins appear a fragile side beset by entrenched problems Speak to anyone who holds Harlequins close to their heart and a word that often comes up is “fragility”. Fragile in defence against Gloucester last weekend but mentally frag

Marcus Smith’s return from injury offers hope but Quins appear a fragile side beset by entrenched problems Speak to anyone who holds Harlequins close to their heart and a word that often comes up is “fragility”. Fragile in defence against Gloucester last weekend but mentally fragile too. The scars of recent seasons are deep and the problems entrenched.

A club that is famed for its swagger has, in short, lost its mojo and the more you pull back the curtain, the longer it appears it will take to return. A caveat. It would be oh so very typical of Harlequins to swashbuckle their way past Sale Sharks on Sunday but in many ways, that feels like part of the problem.

During pre-season Harlequins set themselves the target of following in the footsteps of Exeter, who finished ninth two seasons ago before reaching the final last June . As Marcus Smith pointed out, it was not so long ago that Quins were seventh in January with only two wins and champions five months later . But in the eyes of supporters, these former glories, these roadmaps out of their current malaise are doing little but masking the extent of the problems, offering but false hope.

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