Quins ready to unleash Strettle for play-off push

With Quins third in the Guinness Premiership, England wing Strettle has fully recovered from a second broken metatarsal and will play against Leeds on 13 April.

While capital rivals London Irish and Saracens play in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals this weekend, Quins have put their ignominious European exit firmly behind them to beat Bath, Bristol and Newcastle in recent weeks and close in on a top-four play-off place.

Strettle was injured six minutes into this year's Six Nations and his return could not have happened at better time for the club. He said: "Fortunately it didn't require an operation and, with one screw in place already, I don't think there was room for another one.

"It's been so frustrating, but to come back and play for a play-off position is great. With the way we are playing at the moment, I feel I can benefit the side."

Quins, aiming to make the play-offs for the first time after enjoying a run of five wins in six games, have only one home match left, against Sale, with away fixtures at Leeds, Irish and Leicester.

During Strettle's absence, housemate Danny Care, 21, has surged past veteran scrum-half Andy Gomarsall into contention for the England tour to New Zealand in June. Strettle said: "Last year, Danny was only getting a game here and there. He has come in this year and has been the major reason why we have been playing a quicker tempo."

Brian Ashton, meanwhile, is continuing his preparations for England's clash with the Barbarians at Twickenham on 1 June even though Martin Johnson appears to be moving nearer to accepting the role of team manager.

Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite rugby director, has been struck down by a stomach bug but is due to meet Johnson later this week.

If agreement is reached - Andrew has to broker a deal or face the wrath of the RFU hierarchy - it will have a fundamental effect on Ashton's responsibilities as head coach, although it appears compromise is in the air.

Andrew has consistently backed Ashton and Johnson will be urged to fall into line. That is why Ashton is conducting "business as usual" and has a planned meeting with fellow coaches John Wells and Mike Ford on 10 April.

Leicester centre Seru Rabeni has been banned for 14 weeks for making illegal contact with the eyes of Saracens hooker Andy Kyriacou.

The RFU disciplinary committee also accepted a one-game ban, imposed on Lawrence Dallaglio by his London Wasps club, was sufficient after he was found guilty of striking Leicester prop Julian White but they found Harlequins centre De Wet Barry not guilty of a deliberate late charge on Newcastle's Mathew Tait.