Gallagher PREM 2025/26 squads rated: Harlequins

It was a summer of change for Harlequins this year, waving goodbye to a club legend in Danny Care, with a handful of experienced figures also leaving the Stoop.

There was another twist late on in this summer of change, when head coach Danny Wilson’s exit to join Wales was announced a day before their PREM Rugby Cup fixture against Newcastle Red Bulls last week.

Their new coaching team, spearheaded by Jason Gilmore, will take charge of a squad that has had a generous helping of international class arriving at the club.

So here’s our take on the depth of the squad heading into the new Gallagher PREM season.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Harlequins

31 - 47

Full-time

Bath

All Stats and Data

Loosehead prop: Fin Baxter, Jordan Els, Boris Wenger
With Joe Marler retiring midway through last season, and Wyn Jones leaving the club at the end of the campaign, Quins’ loosehead stocks took a hit from last year. They have recruited Argentina’s young prop, Wenger (a common theme this summer), to soften the blow. Wenger and Baxter, both 23, will provide international class, while Els is a useful back-up. Depth rating: 7.5

Hooker: Jack Musk, Sam Riley, George Turner, Jack Walker
Bringing in a veteran in Scotland’s Turner was an astute move by Quins to not only add depth but also improve the quality of their hookers. He will rival Walker for that No.2 jersey this season, with Musk and Riley bound to get game time too. The loss of 22-year-old Nathan Jibulu to Sale Sharks was a gut-punch, however. Depth rating: 6.5

Tighthead prop: Harry Williams, Pedro Delgado, Will Hobson, Simon Kerrod, Titi Lamositele
Yet more Argentinian beef added to the front-row, with Delgado arriving at the Stoop alongside 19-cap England international Harry Williams, who will arrive battle-hardened following two years in the Top 14. The pair will complement a set of No. 3s that combine experience and youth. Depth rating: 8

Second-row: Jonny Green, Guido Petti, Joe Launchbury, Stephan Lewies, Kieran Treadwell
Losing Irne Herbst, Dino Lamb and George Hammond over the summer was big, there’s no two ways about it, but Quins have done a good job in plugging the gap in the second-row by bringing in another established Argentina international, Petti, and the return of Ireland international Treadwell. 21-year-old Green provides some youth to what is an experienced, and possibly ageing, contingent, but their lock stocks could get tested. Depth rating: 7

Back-row: James Chisholm, Chandler Cunningham-South, Alex Dombrandt, Will Evans, Jack Kenningham, Tom Lawday
Quins do have international quality in this back-row, but they also have some of the best flankers in the league that aren’t capped. Across a whole season, those players can turn out to be more useful than the Test players, who have other commitments at times. Depth rating: 8.5

Scrum-half: Max Green, Will Porter, Stu Townsend
Care was going to be impossible to replace, but Quins have tried by bringing in Townsend from Exeter Chiefs and Green from CA Périgueux. The England centurion didn’t actually make a huge impact on the playing field last season, with Porter frequently wearing the No.9 shirt, but it is the added extras that come with a personality like Care’s that the club will miss. Depth rating: 6

Fly-half: Jamie Benson, Jarrod Evans, Marcus Smith
A seasoned international, and British & Irish Lion, in Smith, backed up by another international in Evans, with an up-and-comer in Benson providing competition, is the perfect blend of depth a club would want at fly-half. Depth rating: 8.5

Centre: Oscar Beard, Bryn Bradley, Sean Kerr, Luke Northmore, Ben Waghorn
This is a curious department, as this could well be the best set of centres in the league in a couple of years’ time, with a much better rating, with the 21-year-old Waghorn, 20-year-old Kerr – both England U20 representatives– and 22-year-old Bradley. This may be just too early for them to dominate the league, though. But Beard, 23, and Northmore, 28, both deservedly became capped England internationals in the summer and will likely be the 12-13 combo, though both are more comfortable at outside centre. The club did lose Lennox Anyanwu and Will Joseph in the summer. A group for the future. Depth rating: 7.5 

Wing: Rodrigo Isgró, Cadan Murley, Cassius Cleaves, Hayden Hyde
Pace and power with the Puma Isgro and England’s Murley, even more pace with Cleaves, who everyone hopes can remain injury-free this season, and some mass with Hyde, who is equally adept in the centres. This is a nice balance. Injuries, international call-ups and rest periods are inevitable, but the likes of Beard can move onto the wing, as can the full-back options. Depth rating: 8

Full-back: Tyrone Green, Cameron Anderson, Nick David
In losing Leigh Halfpenny, Quins have lost over 100 caps-worth of experience and a specialist full-back. But they have utility backs who are more than comfortable in the No.15 jersey, and may even have Smith starting there if England head coach Steve Borthwick has his way. They haven’t bolstered this department, but should have enough cover even with the Welshman’s exit. Depth rating: 7

Overall rating: 74.5

Gallagher PREM ratings table

1. Bath – 83pts
2. Northampton – 80pts
3. Leicester – 78.5pts
4= Bristol – 78pts
4= Sale Sharks – 78pts
6. Harlequins – 74.5pts
7. Exeter Chiefs – 70.5pts
8. Gloucester – 68pts