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'It's starting to heat up': Harlequins give director of rugby search update seven weeks after Paul Gustard's exit
By Liam Heagney
Harlequins general manager Billy Millard has delivered an update on the Gallagher Premiership club’s search for a new director of rugby seven weeks after Paul Gustard surprisingly exited The Stoop and was quickly snapped up by Benetton, the Italian Guinness PRO14 outfit.
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Appointed in 2018 in succession to John Kingston, Gustard parted ways with Harlequins on January 20 and Millard, who is currently set to oversee Quins through to the end of the season, suggested eight days later there was scope for Gustard’s yet-to-be-identified successor to perhaps come on board before the 2020/21 campaign reaches its conclusion.
“I have been involved in other environments where people become available and maybe with five games to go they come in respectfully and get a lay of the land so they are not coming in cold pre-season,” he said on January 28.
Six weeks later, Millard has now provided an update as to where exactly Harlequins are in this search for their new man. “The process has started and there are some conversations going on,” he said when asked by RugbyPass at the club’s weekly media conference what the current state of play post-Gustard is.
“Some of that I’m involved in, some I’m not. That is being worked through as we speak and is starting I guess to heat up in the next three weeks. It’s important that we take our time and we make the right decision.”
"It wasn't, 'We have to go and find someone because this is pear-shaped'. Not at all"
– Story of how an ex-solicitor has wound up running the rule over Harlequins incredibly starts with Billy Millard taking his daughters to their playground#GallagherPremhttps://t.co/zve4SR7GJW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 28, 2021
Millard revealed in January that Owen Eastwood, a performance culture expert, had been working at the club over the winter, conducting a warts-and-all review of Harlequins. It was said at the time this review was more than half done but it still hasn’t been completed. “It’s still ongoing,” said Millard, adding that the review would tie in with the search for Gustard’s successor. “Those discussions are a part of the work we were doing with Owen.”
The outlook at Harlequins is currently much sunnier than it was when Gustard departed. Five of the six Premiership matches played since the exit of their director of rugby have been won, lifting Quins into third place on the table ahead of this Saturday’s trip to second place Exeter, the defending champions.
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Millard claims he isn’t in the least bit surprised by the club’s improved fortunes, stating that he had every faith the coaching staff who had worked under Gustard would step up and show their worth. “They are all very experienced rugby eyes and they have been working together for a long time. Good relationships with the players, so no it wasn’t a surprise.
“Everyone has just stepped into power and done their jobs really well, from medical staff to S&C, the coaching group. There was a disruption but they have been so impressive, their work ethic, their smarts, their composure, and to be honest the playing group as well.
“We put a bit more ownership on them, that they naturally have to step up and help the coaches, and it has been impressive to sit back and watch everyone work together from six weeks ago. There is no magic secret, everyone is just doing their job really well and working well together.”
"I'm glad he is with is. I'm glad he isn't with England at the moment"
– Some disappointed Test fans want Marcus Smith playing for England but Harlequins are happy their workaholic is currently firing up the Premiership #PremRugby #SixNationshttps://t.co/ZHOvTl77ob
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 4, 2021
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