The high-flying Stormers will face a Harlequins side low on confidence at The Stoop in London on Saturday.
John Dobson’s men are two from two in the Investec Champions Cup after impressive wins over Bayonne and defending champions La Rochelle, while they are also unbeaten after eight rounds of the Vodacom URC.
In stark contrast, Harlequins are a club in crisis, reeling from a string of heavy English Premiership defeats that have prompted intervention from the top of the organisation.
Quins were thrashed 66-21 by the Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, a result that followed emphatic losses to the Bristol Bears (40-14) and Sale Sharks (43-17). The damaging run has left them with seven defeats in nine Premiership matches and sitting eighth on the 10-team log heading into the European window.
The depth of concern was laid bare on Sunday when Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple and chairman David Morgan issued a rare joint statement, acknowledging that performances were “not at the level we expect” and “not considered acceptable by anyone within the club”.
While the executive stressed that changes are being implemented, they also asked supporters for patience during what they described as a challenging period.
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In the Champions Cup, Harlequins sit third in Pool 3 on six points, behind the Stormers and Leinster who both have nine. They suffered a 45-28 defeat away to Leinster before bouncing back with a commanding 68-14 win over Bayonne.
But recent results have been desperately disappointing and the turmoil comes after a turbulent off-season, during which head coach Danny Wilson departed for a role with Wales. Jason Gilmore has since taken charge, supported by Nick Evans, Adam Jones and Gerard Mullen, but results have deteriorated sharply.
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Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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