The ties that bind London Scottish and NEC Harlequins became tighter this week as they prepared to oppose each other at their shared ground.

From next week the administration of the Exiles will be taken over by the Quins as all the Scots administration staff have either resigned or been given the sack.

Although the ground share was motivated by the need to cut costs and combine activities, the latest move has gone further than most expected.

Fears that it could present a conflict of interests for staff being paid by Quins but running another team will face their first test next week in the aftermath of their Allied Dunbar Premiership League game.

But during this sporting conflict both teams will have the same interest in taking away two much needed league points as they look to kick start their seasons.

Unbelievably the aristocrats of the domestic game in their famous quartered jerseys may even consider themselves the underdogs in this the first battle of the Stoop as they are still looking for their first win of the season.

Their 43-44 defeat against Manchester Sale last week included glimpses of what they are capable of - as with the Scots against Saracens in a game in which they lost the second half 10-12 but lost 20-58 after a poor first half performance.

Wheelchair

The Exiles will be without their Aussie prop Damien Cummings, who was at the Stoop on Saturday in a wheelchair still suffering from an infected leg, and new arrival Brad Hepi who did not play against Saracens after he had sustained a groin strain in mid-week.

Jamie Cameron will be out for up to eight weeks with a hairline fracture of the ankle so Derek Lee will move into the full back position with Iain McAusland back in at stand-off.

Riding high in the division, London Irish continued to demonstrate that this year they do not intend to be battling relegation in May as they beat last year's champions on their home ground 21-23.

Conor O'Shea was the exile's hero as he scored the try and slotted the winning conversion late in the second half as the Irish pulled back a 21-13 deficit.

They meet Richmond = who beat Swansea 28-13 on Saturday - at Sunbury tomorrow in the second local derby of the day.

That Anglo-Welsh friendly at the Madjeski Stadium in Reading with Swansea left two Richmond players nursing broken noses.

Damien Chapman and Craig Gilles were the unfortunate pair, prompting calls for the Rugby Football Union to sanction the games and provide referees.

The RFU has agreed to discipline English players but is refusing to provide referees, something which Richmond's director of rugby John Kingston described as "hypocritical".

Alex Codling, who came on in place of Scott Quinnell who is returning from a shoulder operation, hopes to stay at the club after being put on the transfer list last month.

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