Challenge Cup Preview

by Lewis Hughes Friday 11 December 2015

Harlequins will aim to preserve their perfect European Challenge Cup record this season when they tackle Calvisano in Italy on Saturday.

Despite resting stars Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter, Danny Care and Nick Evans for the Pool Three clash, Harlequins are confident a rotated squad should prove to be too strong against Calvisano, whose last Challenge Cup home game saw them ship 50 points to Cardiff Blues, before losing 64-0 in Montpellier a week later.

Quins have already conquered both the Blues and Montpellier in bonus point fashion, but head coach John Kingston insists there will be no complacency this weekend.

"We've had an excellent start with 10 points from our first two games, but the reality is there are six games to get through in this pool stage," he said.

"We know a slip-up over the next two games (away and home against Calvisano) could end up really costing us and our quarter-final ambitions, so hopefully we can make these games count.

"If we can continue to perform at the level we showed in our first two games, the results will look after themselves. It's good to keep momentum going, and we have really developed a winning feeling."

Samoan international Winston Stanley is set to makes his Quins debut, partnering Matt Hopper in midfield, while there is also a first start for flanker Archie White in a pack that contains seven past or present members of the club's academy.

Quins still hold plenty of top-flight experience though with Scotland wing Tim Visser and former Australia captain James Horwill both featuring, alongside first team regulars Karl Dickson and Luke Wallace.

London Irish, bottom of the Aviva Premiership without a single league point, face a key Pool Five encounter with Edinburgh at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

Grenoble's bonus-point success at Agen on Thursday took them top of the group, and Irish know they realistically cannot afford to slip up on home soil.

Shane Geraghty starts at fly-half for the Exiles, while there are also call-ups for flanker Conor Gilsenan, his back-row colleague Ofisa Treviranus, centre Johnny Williams and wing Andrew Fenby.

Sale Sharks travel to Stade Pierre-Antoine on Saturday, where Castres await, having put themselves back in Pool Two contention by beating Pau last month.

Sharks boss Steve Diamond has opted for a somewhat rotated side although Brian Mujati, Jonathan Mills, David Seymour and Magnus Lund all start in the pack, and he said: "It will be a difficult contest out in France. They are lying sixth in the Top 14, so we've got to go out and be competitive."

Pool Two leaders Newport Gwent Dragons, meanwhile, include newly announced Bath signing and Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau for Saturday's Rodney Parade appointment with Pau.