Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea reckons tonight’s European Rugby Champions Cup opener with Castres is the perfect stage to get his side’s season firing on all cylinders.

Quins crashed 22-16 at Welford Road last Friday to make it three Premiership defeats from their opening six games.

And O’Shea, who welcomed the top flight return of centre George Lowe last week, wants his men to use Europe as a chance to make a fresh start.

“This is a lot like last year where it wasn’t until a performance in defeat at Clermont got us some momentum into our season,” he said.

“We are not playing as well as we would like, but no team has won six out of six games so far.

“We have a host of quality players who have done it year in year out and you don’t do what they have done without being quality players.

“I have faith they will get what we are doing in training on the pitch.

“We have got a few bumps and bruises, but we will get a team out on the pitch that will get us off 
to a good start in a new competition.” 

Scrum half Danny Care will return to action tonight after missing last week’s game for the birth of his son Blake.