Chris Robshaw hits a milestone on his final appearance for Quins, who hope to add to Leicester's misery in this concluding 2019-20 Premiership fixture for both sides
Leicester v Harlequins live stream: How to watch from anywhere
A Gallagher Premiership match of little consequence is elevated sky-high by the farewell appearance of Chris Robshaw, playing his 300th and final game for Harlequins. It is one of four last-round matches kicking off at 3pm today after Covid-linked disruption.
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Only the second player to reach that landmark for the club, behind full-back Mike Brown (334), Robshaw will captain Harlequins for a club-record 142nd time. The former England captain remains the only player to have won the Premiership Player of the Year award twice and led Quins to the 2012 English title, beating today’s opponents at Twickenham.
“He has been one of the standout players in the league for over a decade and is universally respected and loved by his peers and opposition,” said Quins’ Head of Rugby Paul Gustard. “There are few players that have made the impact Chris has over the years, and I am delighted to read, hear and see the regard he is held in.
Related content: Chris Robshaw’s Life in Pictures
“It is a shame that, with our considerable injury list, with 19 senior players unavailable, those who have played so much with Robbo are unable to take the field with him once more. But I know the squad are determined to play well for him.
“While Robbo leaves the team as a player, he will never leave us as a person and will forever have a home at Harlequins. He epitomises everything that is good about our sport and we wish only good things for him and Camilla on their next adventure (Major League Rugby).”
Club legend: Chris Robshaw bids farewell to Quins today before joining San Diego Legion (MB Media)
Quins will hope to give Robshaw a winning send-off after fluffing their lines in his final home game on Monday. More specifically, Elia Elia’s red card for a tip tackle, when Quins led 20-8, and a disintegrating scrum proved the catalyst for a Wasps fightback.
There are ten changes to that Quins side for today’s game at Welford Road. Loosehead Jordan Els, a debutant against Wasps, earns his first start and George Head is alongside him at hooker following injury to Wales international Scott Baldwin.
Danny Care and Brett Herron form a changed half-back partnership, with Scott Steele and the red-hot Marcus Smith both sidelined through injury, and centre Joe Marchant shifts to the wing to accommodate Scottish cap James Lang at 13.
Academy product Louis Lynagh, son of Wallaby legend Michael, will make his Premiership debut if, as expected, he gets summoned from the bench.
The cancellation of the Northampton-Gloucester match, with Gloucester awarded a bonus-point win, doesn’t affect Quins, who are guaranteed a sixth-place finish because of their higher wins tally. Leicester, meanwhile, are already condemned to 11th place in a season that can’t end quickly enough for them.
The Tigers make 13 changes to the XV flattened by Bristol in midweek, including a club debut for Kobus Van Wyk on the wing. Harry Wells shifts into the second row alongside Calum Green in the absence of the injured Tomás Lavanini. Flanker Luke Wallace is the only forward who started at Bristol.
George Ford will welcome the opportunity to go again after his trials in Toulon, the England fly-half kicking dead or down the opposition’s throats in an unusually errant display.
Laying down the law: head coach Steve Borthwick wants to see Tigers eliminate the errors (Getty Images)
Head coach Steve Borthwick said: “The team selected need to deliver a full 80-minute effort and step forward our level of performance. This must be the best performance of our season.
“At times recently we have had lapses in concentration that have gifted opportunities to our opposition and, at this level, you cannot be giving those chances away.”
It’s seven years since Quins won at Welford Road. In the reverse fixture this season, the sides drew 30-30 in the Big Game at Twickenham, the Tigers rallying from 14 points down. In stark contrast to today’s fan-free experience, the attendance was 75,626.
Robshaw was a try-scorer that day and we give him the final word. “Quins is my home,” he told BT Sport this week. “It’s all I’ve known and all I’ve ever wanted to know. I’ve loved my time here and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Watch highlights of the 30-30 draw last Christmas below.
Leicester: Freddie Steward; Kobus Van Wyk, Kini Murimurivalu, Matt Scott, Nemani Nadolo; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Ellis Genge, Tom Youngs (capt), Dan Cole, Harry Wells, Calum Green, Luke Wallace, Tommy Reffell, Hanro Liebenberg.
Harlequins: Aaron Morris; Joe Marchant, James Lang, Andre Esterhuizen, Nathan Earle; Brett Herron, Danny Care; Jordan Els, George Head, Simon Kerrod, Dino Lamb, Glen Young, Chris Robshaw (capt), Will Evans, Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: 16 Jack Musk, 17 Marc Thomas, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Ben Tapuai, 23 Louis Lynagh.
How to watch Leicester v Harlequins from outside your country
If you’re abroad but still want to watch your local Premiership coverage, like Leicester v Harlequins, you can do so by using a VPN – Virtual Private Network.
VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking by changing your IP address so you appear in a different location and can watch the same legal Premiership live stream you would at home.
Our friends at TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPN and recommend ExpressVPN, which is easy to use, has strong security features and allows you to watch on several devices at once, including smart TVs and phones, iPads, tablets, PCs and Macs.
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Leicester v Harlequins live stream: How to watch from the UK
Leicester v Harlequins, which kicks off at 3pm today, will be shown live on BT Sport Extra 5 in the UK. If you don’t have a BT contract but want to watch the match, don’t worry because you can still easily watch it online.
That’s because BT Sport has a contract-free monthly pass that allows you to get instant access to all four of their sport channels for just £25.
That’s great value given they are showing every Premiership match played behind closed doors live and will also be covering this month’s European Champions and Challenge Cup finals. Plus, you can cancel at any time because there’s no contract.
If you’re from the UK but are overseas when Leicester v Harlequins takes place, you can get your normal live stream but you’ll need a VPN – see the information above.
Leicester v Harlequins live stream: How to watch from Europe
If you’re in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can watch Leicester v Harlequins (kick-off 4pm) through the live and on-demand streaming service DAZN.
Leicester v Harlequins live stream: How to watch from the USA
If you live in the States, the official broadcaster of Premiership matches is NBC, with matches streamed on NBC Sports Gold so you can watch them anytime and anywhere.
Leicester v Harlequins will kick off at 10am EST and 7am on the West Coast.
The NBC Sports Gold Pass for rugby is $79.99 and includes coverage of the Gallagher Premiership, European Champions and Challenge Cups, and Guinness Six Nations.
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