Harlequins captain Joe Marler has urged his side to play with a “cup final mentality” in each of their remaining five games of the season, starting against Saracens at Wembley today.
– INTERVIEW: English rugby’s newest star Jonathan Joseph
– #360Rugby: O’Connell, Biggar and Joseph star in 6 Nations round-up
– Ireland must talk O’Connell into staying on for one more year
England prop Marler returns to lead Quins into battle against their local rivals, with the club’s hopes of a place in next season’s European Champions Cup hanging by a thread.
The fixture between the two sides at football’s HQ has become a recent tradition, but while a crowd nearing 90,000 – a world record for a club fixture – is expected, it is not a top-of-the-table clash.
Saracens remain third and well in the hunt for a play-off place, however, Quins are mired in eighth after a season of struggle, four points off seventh and the chance of continental salvation it offers.
“These next five games are huge for everyone that we’re playing against,” Marler told Sport360° of a run-in that includes four games against sides also scrapping for the top six.
“But we’ll focus on ourselves, we’ll approach every game with a cup final mentality because we want to play in Europe next year.
“This club deserves to be in Europe next year, we haven’t had the best of seasons but we’ve got five games to put that right and we’ll see where we end up at the end of it.”
Marler is joined in the Quins starting XV by England team-mates Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter, while international colleagues Billy and Mako Vunipola line up for their hosts, who include Richard Wigglesworth on the bench.
It is not just in the stands where milestones will be set, with Saracens’ fly-half Charlie Hodgson marking a century of appearances for the north London club.
Honoured to make my 200th for @QuinsRugbyUnion tomorrow @wembleystadium #IncredibleJourney thanks for your support! pic.twitter.com/XbGcYT4PNt
— George Robson (@thegoatman5) March 27, 2015
George Robson meanwhile is chalking up 200 games for Quins, with Ugo Monye also starting following a week in which he announced his retirement from rugby.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall admits his side will use the game to fine-tune ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final with Racing Metro next weekend. Although he has resisted the urge to rest players.
He said: “For the international players it would be more difficult to go somewhere else and play again after what happened last weekend. But to go to Wembley, with maybe up to 90,000 people there, will be exciting for everyone.”
