Former Ireland flank Alan Quinlan questions the standard of the English Premiership after Harlequins’ 62-0 Investec Champions Cup humiliation in Dublin.
Quins, who are currently seventh on the 10-team Premiership log, conceded 10 tries in their round-of-16 defeat at Croke Park.
It was a poor weekend for English clubs in the elite European competition as a second-string Saracens were beaten 72-42 at Toulon, Leicester lost 43-19 at Glasgow and Sale went down 38-15 at Toulouse.
Only Northampton qualified for the quarter-finals, with a 46-24 home win against Clermont.
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“It probably shows sometimes that the Premiership is overhyped in England,” Quinlan told Off The Ball.
“Harlequins were shocking. Danny Wilson, their head coach, I’ve met him many times over the years and he’s a good guy, but I was a bit disappointed he started talking about budgets.
“Leinster have a very big budget and a strong team, and full of internationals, but to start going down that road when your team concedes 62 points …”
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Quinlan said Quins’ attitude was as poor as their performance.
“They were shocking, they were embarrassingly bad: their body language, their work rate, their passion, their desire, their character, it’s not the road to go down.
“If I was the head coach, I would be questioning characters here and the fight and desire because they threw the towel in. After the [Garry] Ringrose try, you’re thinking it’s slipping away but somebody do something.”
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