Harlequins will respect struggling Irish – Botica

Ben Botica insists Harlequins will show London Irish due respect in their European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-final.

The local rivals meet at The Stoop on Saturday aiming for a place in the last four against either Grenoble or Connacht.

Irish are bottom of the Premiership table and Quins thrashed them 38-7 in December, but Botica is not taking anything for granted.

He told the club’s official website: “You can never count anyone out in rugby, anyone can beat anyone on the day and we have to go into the game showing Irish the upmost respect. Come Saturday we need to be focussed.

“We have to stop their big ball runners and we want to play fast and quick. They know what we bring to the table and they will have to stop us from doing that.

“There is no secret to how we play, and we know how they play so it should be a good game on Saturday.”