Harlequins v London Irish: Aviva Premiership preview

Nick Easter: Back at No 8 for Harlequins

Harlequins will attempt to halt a three-game losing streak when they welcome London Irish to the Stoop on Saturday.

Quins have lost to top-four contenders Wasps, Exeter and Northampton on successive weekends, leaving them a lowly ninth in the Aviva Premiership table.

Conor O’Shea has made four changes to the team that lost at Franklin’s Gardens, with Nick Easter making a welcome return at No 8 after being released from the England camp.

Tighthead Matt Shields makes his first Premiership start after coming off the bench at Northampton, with Danny Care selected at scrum-half after recovering from a calf strain.

Ross Chisholm is named at full-back, while openside Luke Wallace will make his 100th appearance for Quins.

London Irish sit one place below Quins following last weekend’s drubbing of London Welsh, and head coach Glenn Delaney makes four changes to his pack.

Tom Court and Halani Aulika return to the front row with Jebb Sinclair replacing George Skivington at lock, while Scotland international Blair Cowan is named in the back row alongside former Quin Tom Guest.

Harlequins: 15 Ross Chisholm, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Charlie Walker, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 1 Mark Lambert, 2 Dave Ward, 3 Matt Shields, 4 Charlie Matthews, 5 George Robson (c), 6 Jack Clifford, 7 Luke Wallace, 8 Nick Easter.

Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Darryl Marfo, 18 Seb Adeniran-Olule, 19 Netani Talei, 20 Joe Trayfoot, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ugo Monye.

London Irish: 15 Andrew Fenby, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Tom Fowlie, 12 Eamonn Sheridan, 11 James Short, 10 Shane Geraghty (c), 9 Scott Steele; 1 Tom Court, 2 David Paice, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 Nic Rouse, 5 Jebb Sinclair, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 7 Blair Cowan, 8 Tom Guest.

Replacements: 16 Jimmy Stevens, 17 Matt Parr, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Sean Cox, 20 Luke Narraway, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Chris Noakes, 23 Eoin Griffin.