Writing in The Times (via paywall), Mark Souster believes Quins' victory over Toulouse masks emergence of a two-tier Europe with England in the slow lane.
"Harlequins’ outstanding win in Toulouse yesterday lifted the mood of pessimism enveloping English clubs in the Heineken Cup — whether it signals a genuine revival in the country’s overall European fortunes or was simply a glorious one-off remains to be seen.
"After the first four rounds, the tournament is beginning to take shape and there did not seem to be a huge amount of festive cheer for the seven Aviva Premiership representatives. It may well be that only one, Saracens, makes it to the knockout stages. Nothing though is cut and dried, and Leicester and Harlequins still have realistic hopes of making the last eight. That said, the feeling still exists that it is not only on the political front that England is slightly out of step with the rest of Europe.
"The performances in general may be indicative of a post-World Cup malaise. Questions are once again being asked not only about the inequality in the tournament in terms of the annual battle for qualification, but also the handicap of the salary cap. Two years ago, when Northampton were the only team to make the quarter-finals, there was talk of that being a blip. It is perhaps more deep-seated than that."
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