As for Harlequins, Gilmore conceded that clarity over an ongoing search for a permanent head coach would be useful. “The club’s been honest and really good about it, but we need to be careful over the next block,” he said. “It’s only natural that if you’re coming off contract, they want direction and clarity either way. That’s the balancing act.”

Match details

Scoring sequence: 0-5 Hamer-Webb try, 0-7 Searle con, 0-12 van Poortvliet try, 0-14 Searle con, 0-17 Searle pen,0-22 Steward try, 0-24 Searle con, 0-29 Blamire try, 0-34 Perese try, 5-34 Cunningham-South try, 7-34 Smith con.

Harlequins: T. Green (J Evans 56), N David, L Northmore, B Bradley, C Murley; M Smith, L Friday (M Green 71); S Kerrod (W Hobson 31), J Walker (S Riley 50), P Delgado (H Williams 40), K Treadwell (e Williams 61), G Petti, C Cunningham-South, J Kenningham (S Driscoll 50), A Dombrandt (T Lawday 51).

Leicester: F Steward, G Hamer-Webb, W Wand (I Perese 61), O Bailey, O Hassell-Collins; B Searle (J O’Connor 65), J van Poortvliet (O Allan 69), N Smith (A van der Flier 59), C Clare (J Blamire 50), J Heyes (W Hurd 59), C Henderson, O Chessum, H Liebenberg, T Reffell, E Ilione (O Cracknell 50, J Moro 62).

Referee: Adam Leal (RFU)