Dean Richards believes the Lions selectors have limited their options by ignoring the talents of scrum-half Danny Care and No8 Nick Easter for the summer tour of South Africa.

Both players impressed for England during the season and have helped their team to reach the final round of the regular Guinness Premiership season in second place, with a bonus point victory over Newcastle tomorrow now needed to clinch a home play-off match.

The Quins director of rugby said: "I am surprised they are not going because Danny would have given them contrast in terms of the skills on offer at scrum-half, while Nick's experience in the No8 role would have been a major asset. However, only scrum coach Graham Rowntree, among the Lions management, has worked with Nick."

Patently, Richards believes Easter's qualities were not talked up enough in selection, while Care lost out in the same discussion to England rival Harry Ellis.

"I am sure Danny and Nick will put the disappointment behind them and, with injuries always part of any Lions tour, they could still get out to South Africa as first reserves," he added.

Care must bounce back by helping Fijian outside-half Waisea Luveniyali erase the memory of a dreadful display as Quins lost at Sale last week.

With Nick Evans and Chris Malone injured, Richards is short of experience in that position.

"Waisea is a very talented player and while he didn't have his best game at Sale, I have a lot of confidence in him," Richards said.

"We know what is required to ensure a home game in the play-offs but nothing is being taken for granted and Newcastle are dangerous. Losing in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals 6-5 to Leinster still grates with us and we are under no illusions about what is needed if we are to play two more games after Saturday."

Tani Fuga replaces the injured Gary Botha at hooker and Mike Brown is fit to regain the No15 jersey, which allows Tom Williams to revert to wing where Ugo Monye, the one Quins player on the Lions tour, will also operate in front of a sell out crowd.

Although Newcastle are hampered by injury worries, they do contain one of the form No10's in England in Tom May.

He has secured a move to an undisclosed Top 14 team in France next season - where Wilkinson will also be playing for Toulon. May is named in the starting XV despite sustaining a broken finger but, given the club's long injury list, he needs to play.

England captain Steve Borthwick, another high-profile player to miss out on the Lions tour, returns to Bath tomorrow for the first time since quitting the club to join Sarries and will then give his support to Simon Halliday, the ex-England, Bath and Quins centre, who is aiming to raise £10,000 for the CRY charity by completing the London Marathon on Sunday.

Halliday, the cardiac charity's patron, is predicting a Bath victory, a top-four finish and a time of around five hours for his marathon.

Glen Jackson, the Sarries outside-half, goes into the final regular season match as the Premiership's top points scorer on 231 - just 19 points ahead of Bath's Butch James.

Sarries need a win tomorrow to help their bid to qualify for the Heineken Cup by finishing seventh. That is also the target for London Wasps, the reigning champions, who take on Gloucester.

Danny Cipriani has a chance to show what working with a psychologist has added to his game and can remind the Lions selectors - his club coaches Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards - what they will be missing, having been left the No10 out of the tour party to South Africa.

Prop Phil Vickery, who will be touring, plays his first game since suffering concussion against Scotland, having dropped out of the win over Bristol. Serge Betsen captains the team with Tom Rees ruled out by his shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, South African coach Pieter De Villiers claiming the Lions' decision to leave behind Wales captain Ryan Jones, England skipper Borthwick and Mike Blair, the Scotland leader, will hurt the squad.

"The one thing that surprised me was that the leaders of three home nations weren't included in the squad - the guys that play under those guys respect them," said the Springboks coach.