Paul Gustard has urged his Harlequins side to carry forward the form that saw them beat Exeter Chiefs as they prepare to face Benetton in the Challenge Cup.

Quins became the first side to beat the Chiefs in the Gallagher Premiership last weekend as they held out for a well-deserved 28-26 win at The Stoop.

But a trip to Italy to face a Benetton side bedecked with internationals offers a different challenge – one Gustard knows his team will need to rise to if they are to keep their European journey alive.

“We have won one and lost one in the Challenge Cup so far, so the next two weeks are very important to put us on the right track to progress in the competition,” he told the club website.

“We are aware of the threat they pose, the talent at their disposal and we are determined to play to our identity and continue the momentum we have generated.

“We were pleased with our win against Exeter last week but since that moment our minds have been completely focused on Benetton in the Challenge Cup.”

Harlequins are top of Pool 5 ahead of Benetton who sit second, behind them on points difference, with Grenoble and Agen just a couple of points back.

After their four-try victory over the Chiefs last week, Gustard has demanded a repetition of their attacking intent as they look to rack up the scores.

Quins have notched eight bonus points in the Gallagher Premiership this season, but only two have come in winning margins, something that the former Saracens man hopes is changing.

“Our attack was very dangerous last week creating 11 line-breaks against the league’s most frugal defence and we are now looking to building on that development and making ourselves even more difficult to defend against,” he continued.

“Our attack coaches, Tofty [Mark Mapletoft] and Snap [Nick Evans], have been working very hard in tandem with our game generals to keep finding a way to be more assertive, innovative and dominant with the ball."