Team-by-team guide by Paul Rees
Head Coach: Tabai Matson
Captain: Stephan Lewies
Ground: Twickenham Stoop
Capacity: 14,816
PREDICTED FINISH: 2ND
Quins felt they were not regarded as worthy champions having won the 2020-21 title from fourth position in the table in a campaign that saw Saracens paying penance in the Championship. They were doubled in the regular season by Sarries, which cost them home advantage in the play-offs, and lost to their capital rivals in the away semi-final.
They had to contend with more international call-ups than they were used to: just as Marcus Smith, below, missed the reassuring impact of Andre Esterhuizen outside him while playing for England, so the South African felt the absence of a player whose assured touch gave him the split second that allowed him to make ground.
They made the top four again while remaining prepared to run the ball from anywhere; not for the sake of it, only if something was considered to be on. Quins kick as often as most and their pack is a source of strength, but they give opponents a chance and sometimes leave themselves with too much to do, as against Montpellier in the knock-out stage of the Champions Cup.
Most of their additions to the senior squad are academy graduates, including Jack Kenningham, the flanker who made an immediate impact, but the loss of second row Hugh Tizard to Saracens and retirement of Matt Symons sees the Worthy contenders for sure return of Charlie Matthews after a stint in Japan. Continuity is the theme, and why not?
INS AND OUTS
IN: Fin Baxter (academy), Oscar Beard (academy), Sam Riley (academy), Matas Jurevicius (academy), Irne Herbst (Benetton), Jack Stafford (academy), George Hammond (academy), Jack Kenningham (academy), Jack Musk (academy)
OUT: Hugh Tizard (Saracens), Matt Symons (retired), Joe Grary (retired), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Christian Scotland-Williamson (released), Craig Trenier (retired), Mak Wilson (Doncaster Knights)
2022-23 SQUAD
George Head, Jack Musk, Sam Riley, Jack Walker, Will Collier, Jordan Els, Santiago García Botta, Simon Kerrod, Wilco Louw, Joe Marler, George Hammond, Irné Herbst, Matas Jurevicius, Dino Lamb, Stephan Lewies, Charlie Matthews, James Chisholm, Alex Dombrandt, Will Evans, Jack Kenningham, Tom Lawday, Viliami Taulani, Luke Wallace, Archie White, Danny Care, Lewis Gjaltema, Jack Stafford, Scott Steele, Tommaso Allan, Will Edwards, Marcus Smith, Lennox Anyanwu, Oscar Beard, André Esterhuizen, Joe Marchant, Luke Northmore, Ross Chisholm, Nick David, Louis Lynagh, Cadan Murley, Tyrone Green, Aaron Morris, Cadan Murley
