Harlequins opts for a 6/2 split on the bench

March 03, 2023
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Ultimate Rugby

Harlequins Head Coach Tabai Matson and his fellow coaches have named the Men’s side to host Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham Stadium for Big Game tomorrow.

Playing in a double header at the home of English rugby, the Men’s team will look to topple fifth-placed Exeter Chiefs on Saturday following Harlequins Women’s Allianz Premier 15s match against Exeter Women earlier in the afternoon.

Legendary music act Faithless will perform a music set on the centre of the pitch between the two matches, with the Women’s match kicking-off at 14:30 and the Men’s at 17:15.

Quins’ trio of returning England players all step into the starting XV this week, with Marcus Smith, Joe Marchant and Cadan Murley bolstering the backline, with 374 Club appearances between them.

Harlequins’ coaches have opted for a 6-2 bench split of forwards and backs this week, with loose forwards Will Evans and Luke Wallace named on the bench. Scott Steele and Luke Northmore are the only the only backs named amongst the Impact Players.

On a run of record setting, having recently broken the Harlequins appearance record, Danny Care will go into second place in the all-time Premiership Rugby appearance record as he runs out onto the pitch on Saturday; surpassing current England Head Coach Steve Borthwick on 265 league appearances. Care will be second only to current Leicester Tigers interim Head Coach Richard Wigglesworth on 322 Premiership appearances.

Harlequins Head Coach Tabai Matson said: “Big Game is such an amazing event. For me last year being involved in my first Big Game, it made me realise that it really is spectacular. I know it’s moved date, but we’re hoping for nearly 60,000 people at Twickenham, so it’s a really special event. The players are buzzing about the Big Game and that’s changed the energy of the week already.

“Of course, in Exeter, you couldn’t have picked a better team to play in front of so many people. It was only a couple of years ago we played them in a final, so for a number of reasons it’s a really good week for us and there’s some really good energy amongst the group leading into it.”

Harlequins Starting XV

1. Joe Marler (260)

2. George Head (15)

3. Wilco Louw (61)

4. Dino Lamb (76)

5. Stephan Lewies (56) - Captain

6. Jack Kenningham (35)

7. James Chisholm (128)

8. Tom Lawday (72)

9. Danny Care (352)

10. Marcus Smith (134)

11. Josh Bassett (11)