Joe Marler starts farewell game for Harlequins as Fijian star begins his Bristol career

Adam Kyriacou
Joe Marler will play his final game of rugby for Harlequins on Friday.

Joe Marler will play his final game of rugby for Harlequins on Friday.

England prop Joe Marler will bid farewell to rugby when he starts for Harlequins in the Premiership fixture with Bristol Bears at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday.

The loosehead will play his 286th and final match for Quins after announcing earlier this week that he would be hanging up his boots after a glittering career.

Marler will be joined in the starting line-up by seven teammates who have been away with their respective nations during the autumn. Dino Lamb, Alex Dombrandt, Will Porter, Cadan Murley, Luke Northmore, Oscar Beard and Rodrigo Isgro are all in action from the first whistle, while Fin Baxter is named on the bench.

Final game for Marler

Joining Marler in the front-row is Jack Walker, who will start at hooker and Simon Kerood at tighthead prop. Lamb will pack down with Irne Herbst as the locks.

A blockbuster back-row of Jack Kenningham, returning skipper Dombrandt and the recently re-signed Will Evans will run out at The Stoop to take on Bristol.

Another re-signee, Porter, will start at scrum-half and he is partnered by Jarrod Evans in the number 10 jersey while Northmore joins Oscar Beard in midfield.

The back three includes a further two Harlequins who have recently committed their future to the club as Murley starts on the left wing and Tyrone Green at 15.

The starting team is completed by Argentina international star Rodrigo Isgro on the right wing, who started all three of Los Pumas’ Autumn Nations Series games.

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Nathan Jibulu, Titi Lamostiele, Baxter, Joe Launchbury, James Chisholm, Danny Care, Jamie Benson and Nick David are all in line to feature off the bench.

Meanwhile, Fiji international Viliame Mata will make his long-awaited Bristol Bears debut against Harlequins on Friday after being named in their starting XV.

Mata starts at number eight for the Premiership Round Seven meeting in West London having recovered from a hamstring injury sustained during pre-season.

Santiago Grondona returns from international duty with Argentina to start on the blindside flank, with skipper Fitz Harding at openside for this away fixture.

Joe Owen will start in the second-row alongside Bristolian James Dun with Joe Batley out injured, while among the replacements, Lovejoy Chawatama is set for his first Premiership appearance for the club in the absence of the injured George Kloska.

In the backline is the talented half-back duo of Kieran Marmion and AJ MacGinty while Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Kalaveti Ravouvou are the two centres.

Jack Bates and the electric Gabriel Ibitoye are the wings while Rich Lane plays at full-back as Bristol look to build on a promising start to the Premiership season.

The teams

Harlequins: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Luke Northmore, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Will Porter, 8 Alex Dombrandt (c), 7 Will Evans, 6 Jack Kenningham, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Simon Kerrod, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Titi Lamostiele, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 James Chisholm, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jamie Benson, 23 Nick David

Bristol Bears: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Jack Bates, 13 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 6 Santiago Grondona, 5 Joe Owen, 4 James Dun, 3 Max Lahiff, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Jake Woolmore
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Benjamin Grondona, 21 Oscar Lennon, 22 Joe Jenkins, 23 Benjamin Elizalde

Date: Friday, November 29
Venue: Twickenham Stoop
Kick-of: 19:45 GMT
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant Referees: Joe James, Jamie Leahy
TMO: Stuart Terheege

READ MORE: Joe Marler will play his ‘last ever match’ as he steps away from the ‘beautifully brutal game’