Harlequins back row Tom Guest has admitted the memory of losing in the Guinness Premeirship play-off semi-finals to London Irish will be at the back of his mind at the weekend.

Quins face the Exiles on Saturday for the first time since that day in May and go in to the clash on the back of a three match unbeaten domestic run, which was extended with a 30-23 triumph at Worcester Warriors.

Head coach John Kingston’s men fell short of reaching the Premiership final last year after Irish knocked them out with a 17-0 triumph at the Stoop having already beaten them 28-27 in Twickenham earlier in the season.

And Guest admits that while it isn’t the side’s sole motivation for wanting to gain maximum points from their local rivals, there is an element of revenge about the clash.

“They finished our season last year. They beat us twice at home and you never want to be losing your home games. We’ve targeted this game,” he said.

“It is going to be a test against local rivals we no very well. They have been talked up a lot by the press. We’ve seen a couple of videos of them and they look very good.

“They have a lot of threats and have runners all over the pitch. It is going to be difficult to stop them, but we are confident we can do that and impose our own game on them.

“What happened last year is not the only motivation. It is in the back of our minds, but we are just concentrating on getting the win.”

Guest, who is in the final year of his current contract, is likely to start in his favoured number eight position following a calf injury to talismanic England star Nick Easter.

And the 25-year-old, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, is determined to take his chance at claiming a regular starting slot.

“It is a bit of a recurring theme. I’m confident in my own ability, but unfortunately Nick is England number eight and is playing pretty well at the moment, “ he added.

“I’m pushing for that place and this is another opportunity for me. I want regular starts throughout the year. That is what I’ve been looking for over the last two years.

“I’ve not really thought much about next year, but the plans the club has in place are amazing so we will see what happens.”