Quins v Crusaders: Teams
Harlequins look likely to hand a debut to former St Helens prop Sam Thompson in Saturday's match against Celtic Crusaders.
Last Updated: 06/06/09 5:15pm
Harlequins look likely to hand a debut to former St Helens prop Sam Thompson in their match against Celtic Crusaders on Saturday.
The Londoners have signed Thompson on a month's loan from Championship club Widnes after seeing a number of their forwards struck down by injury.
The 22-year-old made five Super League appearances for St Helens in 2008 before his switch to the Vikings and Quins coach Brian McDermott is confident he can rise to the challenge having taken the step back up.
"Having seen Sam play, I know he'll be able to do a job for us whilst several of our forwards are out with injuries," McDermott stated.
However, the Quins supremo is expecting Crusaders to provide difficult opposition despite being cut well adrift at the bottom of Super League.
"Anybody that thinks Celtic Crusaders are just going to turn up and roll over are kidding themselves," he continued.
"The message I am hammering to the players is that we will take them for granted at our peril."
Lupton back for Crusaders
The Welsh outfit travel to London with Peter Lupton set for a recall to their starting line-up after injury.
The 27-year-old loose forward has been on the sidelines for the past month having sustained a knock at Murrayfield in early May.
Lupton, who spent two years with the Londoners in their previous incarnation as the London Broncos, comes as a welcome boost with both Josh Hannay and Jason Chan ruled out after picking up injuries against Wakefield last week.
Steve Tyrer, Marshall Chalk and Tony Duggan are also still in the treatment room, so Welsh international trio Ben Flower, Geraint Davies and Aled James are added to John Dixon's initial 19-man squad for the trip south.
Harlequins (from): Tony Clubb, Luke Dorn, Matt Gafa, Jason Golden, Jon Wells, Daniel Heckenburg, David Howell, Ben Kaye, Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Chris Melling, Matt Gardner, Danny Orr, Rob Purdham, Chad Randall, Will Sharp, Karl Temata, Joe Mbu, Sam Thompson, Luke Williamson
Crusaders (from): Chris Beasley, Anthony Blackwood, Mark Bryant, Neil Budworth, Mark Dalle Cort, Geraint Davies, Luke Dyer, Ben Flower, Aled James, Jordan James, Mark Lennon, Peter Lupton, Darren Mapp, Ryan O'Hara, Adam Peek, Damien Quinn, David Tangata-Toa, Jace Van Dijk, Lincoln Withers