Impressive Quins on the up

Should Brive win, they could prevent Quins having a home tie and will also put paid to the last-eight hopes of London Irish, who will be playing Italian club Piacenza at the Madejski Stadium in Reading on Sunday.

Quins will rest England prop Jason Leonard from the Ebbw Vale match.

England centre Will Greenwood is on the bench, and expected to play, but Rory Jenkins is injured, so Quins will restore Pat Sanderson to the back row after his three-month absence through injury. One player who will not be featuring is new signing Rob Jewell, the hustling Gloucester wing, as Quins are giving him a little more time to settle into the squad.

London Wasps, who play Aquila at Loftus Road on Sunday in their final Heineken European Cup game, are already ruled out of progressing to the quarter-finals which allows England to plunder their squad for players to compete in the World Cup Sevens in Argentina on 26-28 January.

Wasps are providing Joe Worsley, Paul Sampson and Josh Lewsey to the 10-man squad.

London Irish wing Paul Sackey, an Under-21 cap, and Harlequins scrum-half Mike Friday have also been chosen along with Saracens' centre Ben Johnston and forward Kris Chesney.

But Johnston and Chesney will be withdrawn if Sarries qualify for the last eight of the European Cup.

England manager Clive Woodward said: "We identified last year that the sevens was part of the long-term strategy for England and it is vital for the development of not only the game in this country, but players' skill levels as well.

"The squad is very strong with a number of exciting young players, who have already represented England at various international levels."

ENGLAND'S SEVENS SQUAD: Kris Chesney, Ben Johnston (both Saracens), Grant Seely (Northampton), Joe Worsley, Paul Sampson (both Wasps), Mike Friday (Harlequins), Nigel Simpson (Rotherham), Josh Lewsey (Wasps), Paul Sackey (London Irish), Rob Thirlby (Bath).