'This has been bubbling away' – Danny Care says ‘disruptive’ Danny Wilson news can 'spur Harlequins on'
By Will Conroy
Published 12/09/2025 at 13:02 GMT+1
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Danny Care has described the timing of Danny Wilson's departure as Harlequins head coach as "slightly disruptive", but believes the London club can turn it into a "positive". Wilson will take charge of his final Quins game on Friday before becoming an assistant to new Wales head coach Steve Tandy. Care said the situation is "not ideal", but he hopes his former side can use it to "spur them on".
‘Everybody gets off their seats’ – Care enters pitch for final Harlequins appearance
Video credit: TNT Sports
Danny Care believes that Danny Wilson leaving his role as Harlequins head coach ahead of the new Gallagher PREM season is "not ideal", but says the club can use it "to spur them on".
Wilson is set to become an assistant to Wales head coach Steve Tandy following his appointment in July.
Wilson's departure from The Stoop comes just two weeks before the 2025/26 Gallagher PREM season gets underway, with Friday night's PREM Rugby Cup clash against Newcastle Red Bulls - live on TNT Sports and discovery+- set to be Wilson's final match in charge of Quins.
Care, who retired in May following Quins’ victory over Exeter on the final day of the season, described the decision as "slightly disruptive", given the timing.
"Firstly, I don’t think it’s a massive, massive shock to everyone," Care said.
"This has been bubbling away, there have been a fair few rumours about potential Wales coaches being picked soon.
"I think, unfortunately for Harlequins, the timing of it isn’t ideal.
"But Harlequins is a club that, if someone really wants to go and do something different, and they want to go and do an international job, I don’t think they’d ever stand in someone’s way."
Care believes Quins have previously proven their ability to "bounce back" from a similar scenario.
After they parted ways with head of rugby Paul Gustard midway through the 2020/21 campaign, with the team in seventh, the club went on to become Premiership champions.
Care looks at that success as evidence that the club can turn Wilson’s departure into a "positive".
The former Quins scrum-half said: "It’s left Quins in, you could say, not an ideal situation, but at the same point, if there’s any proof of a club that can bounce back from something like this, then it’s Harlequins.
"You look four years ago with what happened and the springboard that gave the squad and the group. That group went on to deliver some of the best performances ever in a Harlequins shirt.
"I’d look at it from a glass-half-full mindset for Quins, that if Danny wants to go and further his career and coach Wales, then absolutely – everyone’s behind him 100%.
"You can't blame him for wanting to go and further his career.
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Danny Care (left) alongside Danny Wilson last year
Image credit: Getty Images
"I think, focusing on Harlequins, they’ve got to use it as a positive and try and find someone that will come in that wants to drive the team forward and be there long-term and get success back to Quins because let’s face it, for the last few years it’s not been good enough."
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Care added: "With the mess that Welsh rugby and the WRU has found itself in with all the problems that they’ve had, unfortunately this was always going to take some time.
"And when Steve Tandy was named as the head coach, you thought maybe more coaches would come soon. Obviously, it’s just taken quite a long time to get to this.
"It is slightly disruptive for Harlequins’ pre-season, but the club’s got proof and evidence that something like this can spur them on to really hit the ground running whoever comes in.
"They’ve got a good group of players to work with, an amazing set of fans, great support staff to work with. It will be really interesting to see what happens."
Quins, who finished seventh in the Premiership last season, kick off their league campaign on September 26 when they host last season’s champions Bath, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Watch and stream the Gallagher Premiership and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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