Nick Easter so sure Chris Robshaw deserves an England call

Robshaw, who has led Quins to 12 successive wins this season, trained with England but did not make the final 30-strong Cup squad and his captaincy is even making him a viable option to lead his country. Robshaw won his only cap against Argentina in 2009.

Easter, who scored a superb solo try in Quins' 28-9 Heineken Cup win at Gloucester, believes Robshaw has all the attributes to become an England regular. He said: "Chris has grown into the captaincy role, is playing well and hardly has a bad game.

"His work rate is phenomenal and people don't realise what a good footballer he is.

"I thought Chris trained brilliantly with England before the World Cup warm-up games and was unlucky not to be given a run out but he is good enough and young enough to take his chance when it comes along.

"We let everyone down at the World Cup but there is no chance of me packing it in while there is the carrot of representing your country against the best teams in the World. I still feel I am getting better every season."

Quins defended brilliantly, with Joe Marler and Maurie Fa'asavalu making try-saving tackles, as Gloucester failed to turn possession into points.

Samoan star Fa'asavalu was yellow-carded but returned to link up with back row colleagues Robshaw and Easter to cause Gloucester all kinds of problems at the break down.

Fa'asavalu, who joined Quins from St Helens rugby league club last season, is the player director of rugby Conor O'Shea credits for creating a special ethos at the club. O'Shea, who has ruled himself out of contention for the England team manager's role, said: "Mo starred in the 2003 World Cup before going to league and I would not like to run in front of him with the ball.

"He got yellow-carded because his tackle was so physical, even though he didn't go high.

"Mo is a massively professional guy and a great role model for the younger guys and he is the only player who has got away with singing Baa Baa Black Sheep as his initiation song with the club and didn't get booed off. We have players who are ambitious for Quins but incredibly ambitious and driven to play for their country. I have committed to Quins and no one has been in contact from the RFU.

"Gloucester is one of the hardest places to get a result and while we didn't have a huge amount of ball, we were clinical.

"The guys were magnificent and you only have to look at Joe Marler's try-saving tackle because he could have given up but he made the extra effort to make the hit and the ball came loose to change the game."

Quins now return to Premiership action before facing Toulouse, also unbeaten in the competition, in their Heineken Cup pool match at home on December 9. "While our playing budget is dwarfed by Toulouse, we will have a lot of heart and belief against them and a sold-out Twickenham Stoop," added O'Shea.

"It's great that we won at Gloucester but our next job is Newcastle in the Premiership on Sunday and if we think of anything but that match, then we will come a cropper."

Saracens fought back to gain a losing bonus point as they fell 15-10 at Biarritz, while London Irish were beaten at Cardiff Blues. London Wasps made it successive bonus point wins in the Amlin Challenge Cup as they beat Rovigo 38-7.