Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea has returned from his holidays ready to start the build-up to the new Aviva Premiership season.
With this week’s announcement of the Heineken Cup fixtures, the new season is taking shape and, while O’Shea is ready for another shot at European rugby’s top prize, he is not getting ahead of himself.
Quins have been drawn in pool four against last year’s beaten finalists ASM Clermont Auvergne, as well as Welsh giants Scarlets and Racing Metro 92, of France, with the opener at home to Scarlets on October 12.
However, before then, Quins open the new season at Wasps on September 7 in the Twickenham stadium double-header, and before that they have three pre-season friendlies, the small matter of the World Cup Sevens, starting on August 17, and the JP Morgan Premiership Rugby Sevens, from August 3.
O’Shea said: “It’s an amazing Heineken Cup pool to be part of – to pit ourselves against Clermont is immense and the Scarletts fixture to kick it off is an unbelievable fixture.
“There is great cross-border rivalry and they play a brilliant brand of rugby, so it will be a huge challenge.
“But it is so far away, we will take on the challenge after five league games when it comes round.
“We’re just starting to wind things up for the season, we’re mixing and matching sides in the build-up to the final friendly against Glasgow Warriors (August 24) when we should have a pretty strong side out there.”
While O’Shea was disappointed to lose Olly Kohn and Will Skinner to early retirement, it has opened the door to others this season.
That competition for places will be intense as this year the squad will number 43.
O’Shea said: “It was sad to see Olly and Will go, but it gave us the opportunity to bring in Nick Kennedy and Paul Doran-Jones, which has given us a freshness.
Freshen up: Nick Kennedy's arrival, left, has excited director of rugby Conor O'Shea Action Images / Matthew Childs Livepic
“The squad is stable and, between the seniors and the academy players, we will have 43 in the squad – 29 of whom have come through the academy.
“The likes of Jack Clifford and Harry Sloan have just won the World Cup with the U20s, and James Chisholm is off to South Africa with the England U18s at the beginning of August.
“This is where we want the club to be, and it will only serve to increase competition for places, which is vital.”
One for the future: Harry Sloan won the World Cup with the England U20s Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
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