Harlequins' HQ gamble proves to be capital plan

So the great gamble has paid off: not in financial terms, for Harlequins will generate precious little more profit from the 50,000 sell-out fixture with Leicester at Twickenham this afternoon than they would have taken from a less risky production in front of 12,600 supporters over the road at the Stoop, but in every other way imaginable.

Win or lose – and in last season's corresponding fixture, they were caned to within an inch of their sporting lives – the Londoners will emerge from this visionary piece of business with their status enhanced.

If they can hire the biggest rugby stadium in the world and make the sums add up once, they can surely do it again. And again. It is a major plank of Mark Evans' campaign to establish Quins as the foremost union attraction in the capital – the natural destination for the growing number of people who fancy a touch of thud and blunder to help their weekends go with a swing (or, at the very least, with a swinging arm) – and if the chief executive seemed to be erring just a little on the side of ambition when he hatched his plot, he looks anything but a chancer now.

Quins will be at full strength after resting some important players for the game at Northampton last weekend and finishing second – something of a shock to the system following the Heineken Cup heroics against Stade Français. Danny Care is back at scrum-half, Tom Williams plays on the right wing and George Robson starts in the second row. Leicester, armed with a squad of considerable depth, have chosen to run Scott Hamilton at full-back in place of the stricken Geordan Murphy. More to the point from the hosts' point of view, they have recalled three members of the current England squad – the centre Dan Hipkiss and the back-rowers Tom Croft and Jordan Crane – along with a former national captain in the battle-hardeded shape of Martin Corry.

Newcastle, more than a little alarmed by their close proximity to Bristol at the foot of the table, find themselves in must-win territory. Worcester are the visitors to Kingston Park, and as they rarely enjoy visiting anywhere, they are high on the list of the Tynesiders' potential victims – a fairly short list, it has to be said. The youngster Rory Clegg, doing a sterling job in the latest of Jonny Wilkinson's many absences, has recovered from the virus that cost him a start at Leicester last weekend, as has the flanker Adam Balding. Carl Hayman, considered the best tight-head prop in the world not so very long ago, is also back on the roster after injury, although David Wilson's form means the All Black must watch the initial exchanges from the bench.

London Irish, top of the pile and deservedly so, travel to Saracens with three changes to the side that smithereened Gloucester by a 30-point margin a week ago. Peter Hewat, rather a success at outside-half, reverts to his more familiar position of full-back to cover for the injured Delon Armitage, with Shane Geraghty taking over the pivot role in a switch that can hardly be said to blunt the Exiles' attacking threat. Among the loose forwards, the super-fit flanker Declan Danaher takes over the blind-side position from Richard Thorpe, having galloped half the length of the field for the bonus-point try last time out.

Saracens, meanwhile, have selected Adam Powell ahead of Andy Farrell in midfield, and summoned Nick Lloyd and Andy Saull to the pack. There will be around 17,000 supporters at Vicarage Road, most of them wearing Tommy Cooper-style fez headwear. They won't see that at Twickenham.