Harlequins rocked by late-season exit and recruitment gaps as Marcus Smith bears the burden

Harlequins entered the new season amid upheaval, with head coach Danny Wilson leaving to join Wales two weeks before kickoff. The sudden departure capped a volatile off-season that included missed transfer targets, a high-tension training ground, and questions about how the club would marry its attacking DNA with a more controlled game. The turmoil looms large for Marcus Smith, the rising playmaker whose form depends on the system in place.

Last season’s tensions spilled onto the training field. In the closing weeks, Danny Care reportedly had to step in to diffuse a bust-up between Wilson and a senior player. The atmosphere around the club was described by insiders as fractured, even as captain Jack Walker publicly spoke in defense of Wilson. Wilson’s exit, announced as he joined the Wales setup as an assistant to Steve Tandy, was met with a mix of shock and inevitability among players who had grown used to the club’s shifting leadership.

With Wilson’s departure, Jason Gilmore has stepped up to lead the team, having joined Quins as defence coach a year earlier. Gilmore, 55, is seen as a steady, people-focused leader who can navigate the club’s London-based, multi-location squad. The club had considered Franco Smith, who instead extended with Glasgow, before Gilmore took the reins. Players say his approach—balanced, communicative, and grounded in defense—could be what the club needs to reset its trajectory.

Wilson sought a more conservative game, focusing on ruck and breakdown drills and dialing back the offloading game that helped Quins win the Premiership in 2021. The move drew pushback from players who argued the club’s DNA is built on attacking tempo. The consequence, according to several players, was a misalignment with Marcus Smith’s strengths. Last season’s performance dropped to seventh in the Premiership, the worst finish in seven years, and there was a reported 25 percent decline in tries per game on average compared with earlier years.

The coaching transition has not only altered tactics but also amplified recruitment pressures. The club had flirted with the idea of Franco Smith, among others, before Wilson’s exit, and Jason Gilmore has now assumed leadership while the search continues for the right long-term fit. Club insiders stress that Harlequins’ identity—an entertaining, high-tempo brand—must coexist with a level of structure that can sustain results. Yet the appetite for a quick fix remains limited by the realities of the transfer market and the timing of those deals.

Recruitment difficulties have loomed large. Quins pursued high-profile targets such as Sione Tuipulotu, Santiago Chocobares, and Solomone Kata, but could not close the deals. The midfield hole left by Andre Esterhuizen remains a problem, as the Springbok centre’s power once created space for Smith’s running game. The club did bring in Argentine forward Guido Petti and props Boris Wenger and Pedro Delgado over the summer, but the lack of a standout replacement for Esterhuizen has stunted the backline’s ceiling. Internal messaging on recruitment has been described as inconsistent, with players sometimes left waiting for deals that could have been secured earlier to lock in prices.

Within the culture, some players describe an unsettled environment: London life, scattered training groups, and a sense that dialogue between players and management has not always been open. One former player described the dynamic as “the lunatics running the asylum” at times, noting the appeal of freedom paired with the risk of discipline issues. Still, Quins’ loyal supporter base remains a source of energy for the club, and those inside believe Gilmore is well-positioned to rebuild trust and stability as the team reorients toward a more sustainable plan. The season’s early fixtures will test how quickly the leadership, recruitment, and on-field adjustments can converge to restore the relationship between a revived pack and a star like Smith.

As Harlequins move forward, they face a balancing act between honoring the club’s entertaining heritage and delivering the consistency expected in modern top-flight rugby. The tasks ahead include securing players who fit the desired style, integrating new leadership, and restoring form and cohesion that propelled Quins to the 2021 title. How quickly Smith adapts to the new framework and how the squad responds to Gilmore’s leadership will shape their prospects for the season and beyond.