On the day it was revealed Ben Morgan will almost certainly play no part in the Six Nations, veteran No8 Nick Easter provided yet another reminder of his timeless quality as Harlequins tamed Leicester Tigers with consummate ease. Easter may have won the last of his 47 international caps in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Auckland almost four years ago, but at 36 he retains all the qualities which made him Martin Johnson’s first-choice No8 during his reign. On Saturday, playing his 250th match for the club, he was simply outstanding. Veteran No 8 Nick Easter put in a man of the match display as Harlequins kept their play-off hopes alive . Easter, who won the last of his 47 England caps four years ago, was outstanding for Quins against Leicester . His first-half off-load to put Danny Care in for a try was as good as anything seen in the Aviva Premiership this season and he deservedly won the man-of-the-match award in a high-class Quins back row which also included returning England captain Chris Robshaw and the hugely promising Jack Clifford. ‘Nick Easter’s off-load was not just world class, it was out of this world,’ said delighted Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea. ‘We’ve been very, very fortunate to have Nick Easter at the club while I’ve been here. He’s a warrior. He may be old school in some ways, he challenges, but he plays at a level that very few people can. ‘The harder the going becomes, the better he plays.’ Danny Care impressed for Harlequins in front of watching England forwards coach Graham Rowntree . Danny Care breaks through a tackle to score his side's first try against Leicester on Saturday . Stuart Lancaster has steadfastly resisted calls to pick Easter since taking over from Johnson following the 2011 World Cup debacle, preferring to blood youngsters Morgan and Billy Vunipola. But with the clock ticking until the next World Cup, and Easter in the form of his life, it will be hard for him to ignore him much longer. ‘I’ve stopped speaking to Stuart about him because I’m banging my head,’ O’Shea added. ‘I don’t know what Ben Morgan’s injury is but Nick Easter wants to play for England. Stuart and I had a good long chat about him last year and his worry was always whether he would get to the World Cup with the ability to play with that sort of intensity and that pace and if he comes to the end of the season playing like that he will have a look at him. ‘I’ve no doubt in a few months’ time he’ll be more than ready but it’s not my choice.’ It remains to be seen if Lancaster will select Easter for his side’s opening Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff on February 6 but with two big European fixtures against Wasps and then Castres, Easter has two more huge stages to showcase his skills over the next fortnight. England captain Chris Robshaw (centre) made a winning return as he helped Quins to a bonus-point victory . Robshaw had been absent for the last five weeks as he recovered from a shoulder injury . Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio in the commentary box was certainly in no about Easter’s qualities as he described him as ‘the best No8 in the Premiership’. Robshaw was hardly less impressive in his first game in four weeks following the shoulder injury which threatened his Six Nations participation and could yet require surgery. The England skipper carried superbly and, alongside the intelligent Clifford at No6, Quins’ back row completely outplayed the vaunted Tigers trio of Jordan Crane, Julian Salvi and Tom Croft. This was right up there with Quins’ best display of the season and, following an impressive run in Europe, they are hitting the second half of the season with real impetus. The deserved bonus-point win, sealed by substitute Tim Swiel’s 80th-minute try, moves O’Shea’s men up to seventh place in the Premiership table, just two points off the top four. Fly-half Ben Botica contributed 10 points for Harlequins with two penalties and two conversions . Every side above them will be looking anxiously over their shoulders. ‘We needed a win like this to get us buzzing,’ added O’Shea. ‘We needed that win more than Leicester.’ Care’s try was the pick of the game for Quins, simply for the brilliance of Easter’s pass out of Tom Youngs’ tackle, but Clifford also crossed for a well-worked first-half score and Marland Yarde capitalised on a wayward Owen Williams clearance to cross for the home side’s third try in the 46th minute. Ben Botica kicked 12 points for Quins with Williams kicking four penalties for a desperately under par Leicester side in front of 14,800 at the Stoop. ‘We got what we deserved,’ said Tigers boss Richard Cockerill. ‘You have to take your opportunities in games and we didn’t take ours. We weren’t accurate and it’s disappointing.’
England captain Chris Robshaw returned after five weeks out with injury .
Nick Easter, 36, was outstanding at No 8 for man-of-the-match .
Danny Care's impact will also have had national selectors taking note .
Harlequins remain in the hunt for a top-four finish after bonus-point win .
On the day it was revealed Ben Morgan will almost certainly play no part in the Six Nations, veteran No8 Nick Easter provided yet another reminder of his timeless quality as Harlequins tamed Leicester Tigers with consummate ease. Easter may have won the last of his 47 international caps in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Auckland almost four years ago, but at 36 he retains all the qualities which made him Martin Johnson’s first-choice No8 during his reign. On Saturday, playing his 250th match for the club, he was simply outstanding. Veteran No 8 Nick Easter put in a man of the match display as Harlequins kept their play-off hopes alive . Easter, who won the last of his 47 England caps four years ago, was outstanding for Quins against Leicester . His first-half off-load to put Danny Care in for a try was as good as anything seen in the Aviva Premiership this season and he deservedly won the man-of-the-match award in a high-class Quins back row which also included returning England captain Chris Robshaw and the hugely promising Jack Clifford. ‘Nick Easter’s off-load was not just world class, it was out of this world,’ said delighted Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea. ‘We’ve been very, very fortunate to have Nick Easter at the club while I’ve been here. He’s a warrior. He may be old school in some ways, he challenges, but he plays at a level that very few people can. ‘The harder the going becomes, the better he plays.’ Danny Care impressed for Harlequins in front of watching England forwards coach Graham Rowntree . Danny Care breaks through a tackle to score his side's first try against Leicester on Saturday . Stuart Lancaster has steadfastly resisted calls to pick Easter since taking over from Johnson following the 2011 World Cup debacle, preferring to blood youngsters Morgan and Billy Vunipola. But with the clock ticking until the next World Cup, and Easter in the form of his life, it will be hard for him to ignore him much longer. ‘I’ve stopped speaking to Stuart about him because I’m banging my head,’ O’Shea added. ‘I don’t know what Ben Morgan’s injury is but Nick Easter wants to play for England. Stuart and I had a good long chat about him last year and his worry was always whether he would get to the World Cup with the ability to play with that sort of intensity and that pace and if he comes to the end of the season playing like that he will have a look at him. ‘I’ve no doubt in a few months’ time he’ll be more than ready but it’s not my choice.’ It remains to be seen if Lancaster will select Easter for his side’s opening Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff on February 6 but with two big European fixtures against Wasps and then Castres, Easter has two more huge stages to showcase his skills over the next fortnight. England captain Chris Robshaw (centre) made a winning return as he helped Quins to a bonus-point victory . Robshaw had been absent for the last five weeks as he recovered from a shoulder injury . Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio in the commentary box was certainly in no about Easter’s qualities as he described him as ‘the best No8 in the Premiership’. Robshaw was hardly less impressive in his first game in four weeks following the shoulder injury which threatened his Six Nations participation and could yet require surgery. The England skipper carried superbly and, alongside the intelligent Clifford at No6, Quins’ back row completely outplayed the vaunted Tigers trio of Jordan Crane, Julian Salvi and Tom Croft. This was right up there with Quins’ best display of the season and, following an impressive run in Europe, they are hitting the second half of the season with real impetus. The deserved bonus-point win, sealed by substitute Tim Swiel’s 80th-minute try, moves O’Shea’s men up to seventh place in the Premiership table, just two points off the top four. Fly-half Ben Botica contributed 10 points for Harlequins with two penalties and two conversions . Every side above them will be looking anxiously over their shoulders. ‘We needed a win like this to get us buzzing,’ added O’Shea. ‘We needed that win more than Leicester.’ Care’s try was the pick of the game for Quins, simply for the brilliance of Easter’s pass out of Tom Youngs’ tackle, but Clifford also crossed for a well-worked first-half score and Marland Yarde capitalised on a wayward Owen Williams clearance to cross for the home side’s third try in the 46th minute. Ben Botica kicked 12 points for Quins with Williams kicking four penalties for a desperately under par Leicester side in front of 14,800 at the Stoop. ‘We got what we deserved,’ said Tigers boss Richard Cockerill. ‘You have to take your opportunities in games and we didn’t take ours. We weren’t accurate and it’s disappointing.’
simply outstanding. Veteran No 8 Nick Easter put first-half off-load to put Danny Care in for a Chris Robshaw and the hugely promising Jack like that he will have a look at him. ‘I’ve no over the next fortnight. England captain Chris had been absent for the last five weeks as he bonus-point win, sealed by substitute Tim Swiel’s 10 points for Harlequins with two penalties and