LONDON IRISH head coach Tom Coventry has rung the changes for Saturday’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final clash with Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop.
The New Zealander has switched no fewer than 10 players for the last-eight clash, which includes returns to their former club for Joe Trayfoot and Tom Guest.
The pair will slot in the back-row alongside No.8 Rob McCusker – another addition to the side – while elsewhere in the pack, Tom Smallbone and Leo Halavatau are given the nod to start either side of captain David Paice in the front-row.
Will Lloyd and Jebb Sinclair, meanwhile, are tasked with being the driving force in the second row.
Of the team beaten 15-30 by Sale Sharks at Madejski Stadium in the Aviva Premiership last time out, only Andrew Fenby, Sean Maitland, Tom Fowlie, Paice and Sinclair keep their place in the starting XV.
Out go Ciaran Hearn, Johnny Williams, Greig Tonks, Halani Aulika, Matt Symons, Luke Narraway, Blair Cowan and Ofisa Treviranus, while Tom Court and Scott Steele are named among the replacements.
Also involved from the off in south west London, therefore, will be Fergus Mulchrone, Theo Brophy Clews, Shane Geraghty, Brendan McKibbin, Leo Halavatau, Will Lloyd and Joe Trayfoot.
“Harlequins are a strong team and despite a recent dip in form they showed against Newcastle that if they get good ball fast, they can put points on the board very quickly,” said Exiles’ assistant coach Clark Laidlaw.
“We are well aware of that, and we are looking to combat the threats which will be crucial to the result in the end.
“We have a number of players who have been sat waiting for an opportunity, and those players will get a chance in the side this weekend due to injuries and European registration.
“They each have a great opportunity to stake a claim and be right in the mix for the Newcastle game the week after.
“It would give everyone a lift if we turned up at the Stoop and put on a performance and get the win, so we are certainly preparing to do that come Saturday night.
“Everyone is really excited about playing a local derby at the Stoop – we were frustrated not to get the win last weekend, as for large parts of the game we were on top and didn’t take our chances.
“We felt that we had a lot of opportunities that we missed out on for various reasons, but we’ve worked hard on the areas that we need to improve on to get ourselves ready for Harlequins.”
The last game between the two sides in the league back in December was a largely forgettable one for Irish, who were well beaten 38-7 by Quins at the Stoop.
This game kicks off at 8.05pm.
LONDON IRISH: Fenby, Maitland, Mulchrone, Brophy Clews, Fowlie, Geraghty, McKibbin, Smallbone, Paice (c), Halavatau, Lloyd, Sinclair, Guest, Trayfoot, McCusker.
Replacements: Cruse, Court, Palframan, Curry, Sisi, Ellis, Allinson, Steele.
- DOMINIC WALDOUCK, meanwhile, has left the club to join United States Pro Rugby side Ohio.
The 28-year-old centre only joined Exiles from Northampton Saints last summer, making five appearances.
