Conor O'Shea believes that his Harlequins side were victorious over Racing Metro in the Heineken Cup due to functioning better as a unit.
The Premiership side eased to a 17-3 victory over the French club on Sunday to keep themselves in the mix for qualification from Pool Four with two games remaining.
"We were the better team, with emphasis on team, and that's what made the big difference. Racing had four Lions who started the third Test against Australia out there - money can help, but it takes time," O'Shea told reporters.
"If you're spending in the region of £20m on a squad when we're spending £5m it's a huge disparity, but that's part of the challenge.
"Sometimes you overpay players, some people are maybe getting too much money and become comfortable. It's a difficult kettle of fish when you're playing Clermont who have been together for such a long time."
Harlequins travel to Bath in the Premiership on Saturday.