mens
Gallagher-Prime Minister
Under fire Harlequins Boss Jason Gilmore insists he is the right man to arrest the decline and bring good times back to the Stoop, but says his critics must be patient.
Quins legend Ugo Monye described last weekend’s 48-0 drubbing at Gloucester, their heaviest league defeat in 26 years, which left them bottom of the Gallagher PREM table, as “one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen”.
Gilmore reiterated that his side’s performance at Kingsholm was “unacceptable” when he faced the media again on Wednesday, but said there were no easy overnight solutions to the club’s decline since their shock win in the 2021 PREM final.
Since winning their first title in nine years with a 40-38 victory Exeter Chiefs only at Twickenham Gloucester and Newcastle Red Bulls they have a worse winning record and a very likeable Aussie is their fourth coach since then.
The club has seen Billy Millard, Tabai Matson and Danny Wilson come and go, but Gilmore has asked for more time as pressure mounts on chief executive Laurie Dalrymple and the board.
Gallagher Premiership
P
W
L
D
PF
Well
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
In total
1
2
2
0
0
10
2
2
2
0
0
10
3
2
2
0
0
10
4
2
1
1
0
6
5
2
1
1
0
6
6
2
1
1
0
6
7
2
1
1
0
4
8
2
0
2
0
3
9
2
0
2
0
2
10
2
0
2
0
0
“I feel I have good experience and I know this group well. I know the direction that is needed and I will not deviate from what I know will bring this club back to where it needs to be.
“I understand the short-term focus, which is what we want. But there are some things in our club that we have to ensure in the long term, we are also laying strong foundations.
“Otherwise, we’re just going to continue the cycle we’ve been in. I definitely believe I’m the right person. Look, probably since we won the competition five or six years ago, the results have been in a steady decline over that period.”
“To turn them around, that’s where we have to make sure the foundation of our program is, whether it’s strength and conditioning, coaching, recruiting or managing the salary cap.
“There’s a lot that goes into making sure your program is strong, and we’re attacking all of them right now. We’ve got to make sure they get it right so the club doesn’t bounce around every year.”
“You know, that kind of success wears off quickly, and it takes a long time, not a lot of time, to build. What we don’t want to do is just throw Band-Aid solutions on things where you go up and down, because once you rip off the Band-Aid, you’re not really getting anywhere,” he said.
