After the excitement of Franklin’s Gardens, Quins return to the Stoop for their first home game of 2011, boasting a side full of home-grown English talent.
Conor O’Shea’s side sees 21 out of the 23 being available to Martin Johnson. In the starting line-up there are 10 who have been products of the ever more successful Quins academy.
With the last home game having been played across the road at Twickenham Stadium for Big Game 3, where they claimed the victory over London Irish, Quins will hope to keep their impressive home record intact after finding themselves unbeaten at the Stoop in all competitions since losing out narrowly to Saints on 11th September.
There are only two changes to the side that beat Northampton Saints on New Year’s Day and they both appear in the front row. Starting alongside Joe Marler is Joe Gray, who returns from a one match absence, in place of Matt Cairns. Completing the trio is Mark Lambert who replaces the injured John Andress.
The rest of the side remains unchanged. Ollie Kohn and George Robson combine in the second row, with last week’s man of the match Tom Guest, Captain Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter comprise a formidable back row to complete the pack.
In the backs, the only non-English player in the side, Nick Evans, will be looking to reproduce the scintillating partnership with Danny Care that has threatened so many teams this season.
The remaining backs, all ex-Quins academy, complete the line-up; Ugo Monye and Tom Williams cover the wings, with the young duo of Jordan Turner-Hall and George Lowe joining forces in the centre. Mike Brown covers at full-back.
Two current academy players, Rob Buchanan and Will Collier, appear on the bench.
Harlequins team to face London Wasps
15 MIKE BROWN
14 TOM WILLIAMS
13 GEORGE LOWE
12 JORDAN TURNER-HALL
11 UGO MONYE
10 NICK EVANS
9 DANNY CARE
1 JOE MARLER
2 JOE GRAY
3 MARK LAMBERT
4 OLLIE KOHN
5 GEORGE ROBSON
6 TOM GUEST
7 CHRIS ROBSHAW ©
8 NICK EASTER
16 CHRIS BROOKER
17 ROB BUCHANAN
18 WILL COLLIER
19 TOMAS VALLEJOS
20 WILL SKINNER
21 KARL DICKSON
22 RORY CLEGG
23 TOM CASSON