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Paul Gustard has left Harlequins with immediate effect
Paul Gustard has been ousted with immediate effect at struggling Harlequins, the club releasing an early Wednesday afternoon statement bringing to an end the ex-England assistant coach’s stint at The Stoop where he succeeded John Kingston in 2018.
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Harlequins are currently sixth in the Gallagher Premiership and their last outing under Gustard saw them throw away a handsome lead at home to London Irish in the sort of disappointing performance that had become a regular feature under the coach.
The Harlequins statement read: “Harlequins confirms that head of rugby Paul Gustard will leave the club. Having reached this decision it has been mutually agreed between Paul and the club that he will leave with immediate effect to enable him to pursue other opportunities.
“Paul, who joined the club in the summer of 2018, has overseen a major transformation of the playing squad and departs with Harlequins competing for the second consecutive year in the Heineken Champions Cup. Having narrowly missed out on qualification for the playoffs of the Gallagher Premiership in his first season, Harlequins has continued to develop over the last two years.
“The club finished sixth in the interrupted 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership campaign and it reached the Premiership Cup final, narrowly losing to Sale Sharks in the Covid-19 delayed match. The club thanks Paul for his tireless energy and commitment over the last two-and-a-half years. His passion and drive to succeed have been evident throughout his time at the club. Everyone at Harlequins wishes Paul and his family all the very best for the future.
“You’re thinking, well how much does a Chris Ashton want? Well, he’d want £200K, £250K. He might get offered £150K, a bit less"
– @TheRugbyPod give their verdict on where the soon-to-be 34-year-old veteran might end up next season #GallagherPrem https://t.co/JxSITFjOtS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 19, 2021
“For the remainder of the current season, Billy Millard, general manager of rugby, will oversee the existing experienced coaching team of Jerry Flannery, Nick Evans and Adam Jones. Billy has overseen the management of the coaching team and all of our rugby operations since joining Harlequins in 2018.
“He is hugely experienced having coached the Australian 7s team for four years, been a head coach and director of rugby for Sydney University, head coach for Melbourne Rebels, attack and backs Coach at Cardiff Blues and Connacht, and backs coach with the USA. The club will determine the optimum future structure for its coaching team and will confirm any further changes and appointments in due course.”
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"We won more trophies when I was the head coach at Harlequins than at any time in the professional era. I know what I have achieved."#ICYMI: @heagneyl ??? caught up with John Kingston earlier last Autumn and he had plenty to get off his chesthttps://t.co/RbSZEGTjaH
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 3, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to comments