Preview: Premiership, Round 14
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Harlequins flyhalf Tim Swiel believes that his side has the quality and leadership to thrive, despite missing key players on international duty.
Chris Robshaw, Mike Brown and Quins skipper Joe Marler all played an influential role in England's momentous 21-16 victory over Wales on Friday, with Nick Easter also involved as a replacement.
But while the English contingent will be spending this week plotting the downfall of Italy at Twickenham, Harlequins are hoping to continue their impressive Premiership form when they travel to play Wasps on Sunday.
And Swiel, whose late try against Leicester Tigers secured a bonus-point win in the last round of fixtures, insists his team will not be fazed by the number of big names unavailable at the Ricoh Arena.
"The guys have clear minds now and we are still on a good run from the last few Premiership games, so if we can maintain that in the next few weeks we will stand ourselves in good stead in the table," said Swiel, whose side will be looking for a third successive league win.
"The team is looking forward to being back in league action, and obviously the England boys aren't with us but we have done well without them in the past so we are looking to replicate that.
"There are some great Quins players who play for England, but with them gone there are some good leaders still here, and they can help carry us through.
"There are five points between a clutch of teams in the table, so you are only one win away from the top four really.
"We have to keep our heads down, work hard and push through without the England boys."
The side from the Stoop will line up against Wasps for the fourth time this season, having won two of the three encounters to date.
But following a 23-3 European defeat to Wasps last month, the South African No.10 understands the importance of providing a fresh performance at the weekend.
"In the technical aspects of the game we do know each other pretty well since the beginning of the season," Swiel added.
"We need a variation in our game, you can't expect to just run from behind your goal line, so we have looked at that.
"Having said that, we like to play with the Quins style, which is an enterprising brand of rugby, and hopefully that can carry us through," he said.
All of the Premiership teams and match details:
Friday, February 13
Leicester Tigers v Gloucester
(Welford Road – Kick-off: 19.45; 19.45 GMT)
Teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 George Catchpole, 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Sam Harrison, 8 Jordan Crane (captain), 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 2 Neil Briggs, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Jack Whetton, 20 Laurence Pearce, 21 David Mele, 22 Jack Roberts, 23 Miles Benjamin.
Gloucester: 15 Charlie Sharples, 14 David Halaifonua, 13 Mark Atkinson, 12 Bill Meakes, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 James Hook, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 1 Dan Murphy.
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Shaun Knight, 19 James Hudson, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Henry Trinder.
Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Robin Goodliffe, Paul Burton
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Northampton Saints v London Irish
(Franklin's Gardens – Kick-off: 19.45; 19.45 GMT)
Teams:
Northampton Saints: 15 James Wilson, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Tom Stephenson, 11 Jamie Elliott, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Sam Dickinson, 7 Phil Dowson (captain), 6 Calum Clark, 5 Christian Day, 4 Samu Manoa, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Mike Haywood, 1 Alex Waller.
Replacements:16 Matti Williams, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 James Craig, 20 Teimana Harrison, 21 Lee Dickson, 22 Sam Olver, 23 Ahsee Tuala.
London Irish: 15 Andrew Fenby, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Fergus Mulchrone, 12 Eamonn Sheridan, 11 Tom Fowlie, 10 Shane Gergahty, 9 Scott Steele, 8 Tom Guest, 7 Conor Gilsenan, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 5 Jebb Sinclair, 4 George Skivington (captain), 3 Halani Aulika, 2 David Paice, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Jimmy Stevens, 17 Leo Halavatau, 18 Richard Palframan, 19 Sean Cox, 20 Luke Narraway, 21 Tomás O'Leary, 22 Theo Brophy-Clews, 23 Alex Lewington.
Referee: Andrew Small
Assistant referees: Kelvin Stewart, Ashley Rowden
TMO: Sean Davey
Saturday, February 14
Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Falcons
(Sandy Park – Kick-off: 16.30; 16.30 GMT)
Teams:
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Ian Whitten, 13 Jack Nowell, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Matt Jess, 10 Henry Slade, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Ben White, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Dean Mumm (captain), 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ben Moon.
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Carl Rimmer, 18 Alex Brown, 19 Mitch Lees, 20 Tom Johnson, 21 Haydn Thomas, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Byron McGuigan.
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Tom Catterick, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Ally Hogg, 7 Will Welch (captain), 6 Mark Wilson, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Calum Green, 3 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Rob Vickers.
Replacements: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Mark Irving, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 Richard Mayhew, 21 Ruki Tipuna, 22 Gonzalo Tiesi, 23 Alex Tait.
Referee: Thomas Foley
Assistant referees: Gareth Copsey, Jonathan Healy
TMO: Keith Lewis
Sunday, February 15
London Welsh v Sale Sharks
(Kassam Stadium – Kick-off: 13.00; 13.00 GMT)
Teams:
London Welsh: 15 Seb Jewell, 14 Seb Stegmann, 13 Nic Reynolds, 12 James Tincknell, 11 Nick Scott, 10 Olly Barkley, 9 Rob Lewis, 8 Opeti Fonua 7 Carl Kirwan (aptain), 6 Richard Thorpe, 5 James Down, 4 Ben West, 3 Taione Vea, 2 Koree Britton, 1 Nathan Trevett.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Morris, 17 Eddie Aholelei, 18 Jack Gilding, 19 Matt Corker, 20 Ben Pienaar, 21 Piri Weepu, 22 Will Robinson, 23 James Lewis.
Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Will Addison, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Tom Arscott, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 Josh Beaumont. 7 David Seymour, 6 Dan Braid (captain), 5 Nathan Hines, 4 Jonathan Mills, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Eifion Lewis Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Maxim Cobilas, 18 Ross Harrison, 19 Magnus Lund, 20 Mark Easter, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Mark Cueto.
Saracens v Bath
(Allianz Park – Kick-off: 13.00; 13.00 GMT)
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Assistant referees: Darren Gamage, Peter Huckle
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Teams:
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Jackson Wray, 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Kelly Brown, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (captain), 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 2 Jamie George, 1 Richard Barrington.
Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Hayden Smith, 20 Ernst Joubert, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Tim Streather, 23 David Strettle.
Bath: 15 Tom Homer, 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Sam Burgess, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Ollie Devoto, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Leroy Houston, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Matt Garvey, 5 Dominic Day, 4 Stuart Hooper (captain), 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Ross Batty, 1 Nick Auterac.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Max Lahiff, 18 Kane Palma-Newport, 19 Alafoti Faosiliva, 20 Carl Fearns, 21 Micky Young, 22 Richard Lane, 23 Luke Arscott.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Paul Dix, Roy Maybank
TMO: David Grashoff
Wasps v Harlequins
(Ricoh Arena – Kick-off: 14.00; 14.00 GMT)
Teams:
Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 James Downey, 11 Will Helu, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ed Jackson, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Edd Shervington, 1 Matt Mullan (captain).
Replacements: 16 Carlo Festuccia, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 James Gaskell, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Tom Bliss, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Tom Varndell.
Harlequins: 15 Ugo Monye, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 George Lowe, 11 Charlie Walker, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Jack Clifford, 7 Luke Wallace, 6 Joe Trayfoot, 5 George Robson (captain), 4 Charlie Matthews, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Mark Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Darryl Marfo, 18 Seb Adeniran-Olule, 19 Sam Twomey, 20 Netani Talei, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague.
Referee: Greg Garner
Assistant referees: Nigel Carrick, Ross Campbell
TMO: Trevor Fisher
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