Phil Vickery believes his London Wasps side will feel the full force of a Harlequins backlash when the teams clash at Twickenham.

Quins have dominated the headlines this summer because of the Bloodgate' scandal that has led to the departures of director of rugby Dean Richards and chairman Charles Jillings.

Chief executive Mark Evans could face more pressure to resign this week, when European rugby chiefs reveal the contents of a 100-page report on the hearings which saw Richards and physio Steph Brennan banned from the sport.

Quins will be thankful when the focus switches back to the pitch and the start of the Guinness Premiership season this weekend.

They had a superb year last season, finishing second in the league and reaching the
quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, and this summer's events will make them an even tighter unit, according to Wasps prop Vickery.

“Quins have got world-class players — they have a great side,” he said. “If anything, this summer's events will pull the group together and make them stronger.

“The Quins team will be highly motivated to go out this weekend and prove a point. We expect it to be a tough game.”

Quins full-back Tom Williams had his ban reduced from 12 to four months for using a blood capsule to fake an injury but Richards was banned for three years for his part in the incident, while physio Brennan was suspended for two years and the club were fined £260,000.

Evans, along with Jillings, tried to convince Williams not to opt for a full appeal in a bid to restrict the information that came out.

They failed and now the 100-page testimony of Richards and Brennan could throw further light on faking injuries with the use blood capsules and other ways of beating the system.

Meanwhile, in an ironic quirk of fate, Quins' clash against Wasps on Saturday will be refereed by Dean Richards — a 40-year-old official from Berkshire. It will be his 22nd Premiership match.