“We’ve got to up our game” – Nick Easter

Nick Easter has warned his Harlequins teammates they will need to up their game when they face Racing Metro at The Stoop on Sunday.
Beating the Top14 side 32-8 last Saturday, Harlequins claimed another famous Heineken Cup win in France to stay in touch with Clermont at the top of Pool 3 but the No.8 is adamant they cannot rest on their laurels.
“We know we're in for a hell of a fight on Sunday. We'll have to perform as well if not better to beat a Racing team that will no doubt be looking to make amends,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“I'm sure they will not be as poor as they were last week. They dropped countless balls and conceded many turnovers which helped us out but it won't happen again. They've got a big pack and love a rolling maul so we'll have to be careful.
“We've given ourselves a chance to make it through with that away win but we know from two years ago when we beat Toulouse away that you need to back it up the following week.
“Things can change quickly in this competition. Sunday is about stepping it up in terms of performance and see where we stand in the table.”
For his first game back at No.8 since answering a SOS call from Conor O'Shea to play at lock, Easter was outstanding from the back of the scrum in Nantes.
And although the 35-year-old put in some fine displays like the one against Leicester at Welford Road which earned him November's Gatorade Game Changer award, he came back to training this week with a smile on his face.
He said: “We had a bit of a crisis at lock and I was asked to move up which I was happy to do for the team.
“But it was nice to get back to No.8 and the boys have said I looked happier this week.
“Playing at No.8 gives me more room to play my game. I wasn't as bruised and my ears were in a better shape as when I played in the second row.”
Watch Nick Easter in action against Leicester below.