Paul Gustard maintains Quins’ aims for the season are the same as they were before being blown away by a ruthless Gloucester side.

A Danny Cipriani inspired Gloucester outfit ran out 29-7 winners in tough conditions at The Stoop and the Quins Head of Rugby was honest in his assessment.

Quins’ target at the start of the season was to get in the top four, but such is their recent form, gate crashing the top two was mentioned.

“We got beaten up,” said Gustard.

“As a coaching group we weren’t good enough this week, because that kind of performance we’ve got to try and recognise in the week and see if it’s coming, see the warning signs.”

READ: Report: Harlequins 7 Gloucester 29

Form Side Humbled

Quins who sit third, one place above Gloucester in the Premiership, came into the fixture on a fine run of form including an impressive win at Bath last weekend.

“We’ve won five on the spin, the best form team in the competition leading into today’s game, but we didn’t perform.

“It’s always a bit nervy coming into a game on the back of a good away win.

“We didn’t play as well as we can play, we had 29 errors, too many turnovers.

“Inaccurate in a lot of things and that’s what happens.”

Gustard admitted that despite Gloucester being the far superior side, his men gifted victory to Johan Ackermann’s cherry and whites with their error count.

“The first 25 minutes we gave ourselves a big mountain to climb.

“Their scores came from next to nothing, that’s not to say they didn’t cause us problems elsewhere. “We caused them problems, we broke the line a number of times but we were so inaccurate today and our set piece faltered in the last 30 minutes as well.”

Sarries Next

Quins now travel to second placed Saracens, a game Gustard believes his side can redeem themselves and give a showing that is a fair representation of the quality of the quarter coloured outfit.

“We go there to try to win.

“We are third, not 12th, we’ve got an opportunity and we are also a good team which is why we are third.

“We’ll approach it like we do every game, do due diligence on Saracens, apply ourselves in the right way, with a tight tactical plan, make sure the boys are energised and motivated to play.

“The same target as every game, and that’s to win.”