Monye: Quins produced "one of the worst performances I have ever seen" in 48-0 loss at Gloucester

Former Harlequins winger Ugo Monye said Harlequins produced "one of the worst performances I have ever seen" in their 48-0 defeat at Gloucester on Saturday in the Gallagher Premiership, a match Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore described as "totally unacceptable".

Quins conceded eight tries in what the club endured as their heaviest league defeat for 26 years, leaving them bottom of the early Gallagher Prem table. The club had finished ninth in the Gallagher Prem last season, their worst placing in eight years, with Gloucester finishing just above them.

Speaking on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Monye blamed basic areas of play, saying: "They got smashed in the scrum and the line-out. Their backfield coverage was poor. They got smashed at the gain line." He added: "They didn't score a single point in a league where they're literally handing out points for free [this season]."

Monye, who came through the Quins academy and played over 230 games for the London club, questioned how the squad and staff would begin to analyse the performance in training. "I'd love to know, when they go into their meeting and they try and draw a line under it, where they try and begin", he said, later adding: "It was one of the worst performances I have ever seen in the Prem, by any team."

Reflecting on his connection to the club, Monye said: "Quins are the only club I ever played for. They're in my heart. It's so much easier if you can talk about them positively, but that's been quite difficult to do." He contrasted the two clubs' recruitment decisions, saying: "Gloucester said 'we'll have a World Cup winner in the second row, we'll have a world-class hooker, we'll have a world-class number seven' - that's money well spent."

On Harlequins' transfer approach he added: "Quins said 'we'll have a world-class [number] 15. That's great, but first go and invest in your pack." Monye also noted a tactical change during the match, observing that "They substituted the whole front row at half-time."

The 48-0 scoreline left Harlequins at the foot of the early Gallagher Premiership table while Gloucester moved to the top of the league.