Nick Easter believes this season's domestic success gives Harlequins the ideal platform to launch a European assault when they take on Leinster in the biggest game in the club's history.

Dean Richards's men are second in the Guinness Premiership and head into Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter-final as narrow favourites after topping a group that also included Stade Francais, Llanelli Scarlets and Ulster.

Back-to-back wins over Stade caused the whole of Europe to sit up and take note after their 29-22 away win against the Scarlets had proved the raw side that lost all their pool games last year had grown up fast.

While Easter, 30, admits those European results added an inner steel to a club whose champagne charlie' reputation is a thing of the past, it is in the Premiership where he says they have done the most maturing.

Last week's 19-3 win at Bath came on the back of a 60-point demolition of Worcester and Easter says those wins could not have come at a better time.

“Sunday is the biggest game in the club's history and I think we are well equipped to play a pretty strong part in it,” said the Quins and England No8.

“To nil Bath on tries at their own ground was obviously a big fillip for us. It was a massive win for us.

“I think it was an even bigger win than the ones over Stade. Although it might not have been knock out, when you get to that stage of the League it was a massive win. It was an eight-pointer. It's fantastic that at this stage of the season the guys were able to prove their metal.”

Leinster, who Quins director rugby Richards insists are “the better team on paper”, have a side full of internationals but will arrive at the Stoop with confidence dented after their 22-5 Magners League thumping at the hands of Munster last week.

Ireland's Grand Slam captain Brian O'Driscoll will captain the visitors, whose back row of Rocky Elsom, Jamie Heaslip and Shane Jennings will test Quins' pack to the limits.

In a mark of how far the club have come under Richard's four-year tutelage, Easter says his team-mates are only concerned with themselves.
“We don't get bogged down worrying about the opposition, we just believe in ourselves,” he said.

“We've kept to that this year and it's been the secret of our success.”

Former All Black fly-half Nick Evans is hopeful of recovering from the ankle injury that has sidelined him for the past four weeks.

LONDON IRISH director of rugby Toby Booth has described elements of the Elite Player Agreement governing RFU compensation to clubs providing England players as “a complete farce”.

The Exiles take on Bourgoin tonight in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final with England stars Delon and Steffon Armitage and Nick Kennedy restored to the side after a Six Nations campaign that saw their club lose ground in the Premiership.

Booth is frustrated that clubs who produce home-grown talent are not allowed to exceed the salary cap in order to strengthen their squads during international periods. He said: “I think the system is wrong because you don't get rewarded for producing your own.

“You should get some kind of reward to use some of the money you earn from producing England players to make sure you have good squad coverage. Those aren't the rules we play by and that to me is a complete farce.”

The Exiles face losing Shane Geraghty to Stade Francais at the end of the season, as Booth tries to juggle with financial constraints. “You have to consider whether you should recruit a player who is not going to be with you for 12 to 14 games a year,” Booth said.