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Fit Joe Marler makes bench as Harlequins, Saracens name derby teams
Harlequins have made five changes and Saracens four to their respective starting XVs for this Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership clash at a sold-out Twickenham Stoop. Beaten last weekend away to champions Northampton, Quins have included full-back Leigh Halfpenny for Jarrod Evans, wing Caden Murley for Will Joseph and scrum-half Will Porter for the benched Danny Care in their backs.
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There are also two changes to their back row with James Chisholm and Dino Lamb picked instead of benched duo Chandler Cunningham-South and Will Evans. Halfpenny’s inclusion after he missed the trip to Saints has resulted in Marcus Smith, who slotted in at No15, switching to out-half for a London derby that will see a first appearance of the season for Joe Marler.
The loosehead was injured on the England summer but has now been named as one of the six replacement Harlequins forwards just three weeks before Steve Borthwick’s national team host the All Blacks at Allianz Stadium on November 2.
For Saracens, skipper Maro Itoje takes over from the benched Hugh Tizard at lock, with Juan Martin Gonzalez replacing Theo McFarland at blindside and Andy Onyeama-Christie in for Tom Willis with Ben Earl switching to No8.
The only change in the backline comes at full-back where Alex Goode gets the nod. Elliot Daly moves out to the wing with Rotimi Segun dropping out.
HARLEQUINS: 15. Leigh Halfpenny; 14. Nick David, 13. Oscar Beard, 12. Lennox Anyanwu, 11. Cadan Murley; 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Will Porter; 1. Fin Baxter, 2. Jack Walker, 3. Titi Lamositele, 4. Irne Herbst, 5. Stephan Lewies (capt), 6. Dino Lamb, 7. Jack Kenningham, 8. James Chisholm. Reps: 16. Nathan Jibulu, 17. Joe Marler, 18. Dillon Lewis, 19. Joe Launchbury, 20. Chandler Cunningham-South, 21. Will Evans, 22. Danny Care, 23. Jarrod Evans.
SARACENS: 15. Alex Goode; 14. Tobias Elliott, 13. Alex Lozowski, 12. Nick Tompkins, 11. Elliot Daly; 10. Fergus Burke, 9. Ivan van Zyl; 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Jamie George, 3. Marco Riccioni, 4. Maro Itoje (capt), 5. Nick Isiekwe, 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 7. Andy Onyeama-Christie, 8. Ben Earl. Reps: 16. Theo Dan, 17. Eroni Mawi, 18. Alec Clarey, 19. Hugh Tizard, 20. Tom Willis, 21. Toby Knight, 22. Gareth Simpson, 23. Lucio Cinti.
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