Harlequins Are Grateful for the Heineken Cup Lifeline and Hope the Bloodgate Flak Will Fade

Convincing a skeptical audience that the worst is over proved to be a recurring theme today. Even before Gordon Brown rose to his feet in Brighton, the Harlequins chief executive, Mark Evans, was attempting something similar in Reading, surrounded by his peers from all corners of British rugby. Evans did a valiant job in the circumstances but, as New labor can attest, the road to public redemption tends to be a long and tortuous one.

Who, either way, could blame Evans for looking slightly uncomfortable at the UK launch of the Heineken Cup, still hotly pursued by the Bloodgate controversy which engulfed his club this summer? The click of camera shutters when his turn came to stand next to the trophy on the pitch at the Madejski Stadium told its own story: one of the more lyrical photographers called it a 'Nikon symphony' but it was scarcely music to Evans's burning ears.

All he can do is try to fill Dean Richards's big shoes on such ceremonial occasions – every other club sent their director of rugby or head coach – and hope the flak dies down slightly once the tournament, entering its 15th season, kicks off next week.

The club's big fear was ejection from Europe, as well as paying a record fine, following the fake blood furore and subsequent cover-up after last season's quarter-final against Leinster. Ultimately they escaped that draconian fate but the reaction of opposition fans during the pool stages looks likely to be less charitable.

"They are entitled to their view," said Evans. That said, he sees no reason at this point to apologise for European Rugby Cup Ltd's decision to throw Quins an olive branch. "We came second in the league last season and we got to the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup. We've qualified and we are playing in it. [Expulsion] was a possibility but that's not the way it turned out."

There was little else he could say and already evidence is emerging to suggest that some have swiftly forgiven Quins for their trespasses. Evans revealed the club had received "quite a few approaches" from people willing to succeed Richards as director of rugby following the latter's three-year suspension from the game for orchestrating the affair. An appointment is likely by Christmas but, interestingly, the Quins coaching trio of John Kingston, Colin Osborne and Tony Diprose will remain intact whatever happens. "That's non-negotiable," shrugged Evans. "Some people wouldn't accept that but they won't get the job."

The club's preference is for someone with an intimate knowledge of the English club game which, clearly, would not rule out the Lions head coach and former Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan. "We are searching and we're talking to a number of people," confirmed Evans. "We've got our preferences which we will keep to ourselves." He remains adamant, too, that Quins have not been entirely undermined by the recent adverse headlines.

"We had quite a stable structure that unfortunately got blown apart for reasons people are well aware of, and that's a shame. But I'd like to think the foundations of the club are [still] an attractive proposition. When you look for somebody, and they are looking at you, there is a whole host of things to consider. How financially stable is the organisation? What's the structure? What are the facilities like? What's the academy like? I would like to think we tick, maybe not all the boxes, but quite a few."

To the outsider, even so, it seems inescapable that the summer furore has seriously affected Quins' form. They sit in 11th place in the 12-team Premiership without a win after four games. Evans is not totally convinced. "What do they say? Two things happening at the same time doesn't always indicate causation." A glance down Pool Four, though, suggests Quins' tough ride is set to continue. Toulouse, Cardiff Blues and Sale Sharks hardly constitute a straightforward pool and Evans concedes a decent start would be welcomed by all concerned at The Stoop. "There are very few things in this life that you actually need but it would be helpful, not least to get a few points in the Premiership," he admitted.

If nothing else, Quins may soon be able to boast they have changed the face of professional rugby, though Evans will not necessarily want that claim on his CV. Thursday's Rugby Football Union Task Force report is set to lay out 10 recommendations to prevent a repeat of Bloodgate, including a call for independent doctors and the possible introduction of individual match commissioners.

Saturday's game against Bath, meanwhile, will see the opening of Quins' latest new stand but the anticipated crowd figure is a modest 11,000, more than 1,000 down on last year's equivalent fixture. Economic factors are partly to blame but not everyone, it seems, has forgiven the multicolored Londoners.