Harlequins were given permission today to delay naming their side to face Northampton at Franklin's Gardens tomorrow to avoid publicising the likely return of Tom Williams, who is available again after serving a four-month suspension for his part in the Bloodgate affair.
The 26-year-old Williams has not commented publicly since the end of the disciplinary process into the circumstances surrounding his blood substitution during the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster last season. Williams was found to have used a blood capsule, on the instruction of his then director of rugby, Dean Richards, to simulate a mouth injury and allow the goalkicker, Nick Evans, back on to the field.
Williams was originally banned for a year but this was reduced by two-thirds after he gave evidence against Richards, who received a three-year suspension, and the club's former physiotherapist, Steph Brennan, who was given a two-year ban.
Premiership sides are required to name their line-ups no later than 24 hours before the start of a league game and are fined if they fail to do so. Harlequins asked Premier Rugby for permission to put off the team announcement for Northampton until tomorrow morning so that attention would not be centred on Williams, who is expected to be in the 22.
The return of Williams, who can play at full-back or anywhere in the three-quarter line, is timely for Quins who have Ugo Monye and Gonzalo Tiesi away on international duty. Jordan Turner-Hall is also out until the new year after a shoulder operation, Gonzalo Camacho is injured and David Strettle pulled out of the England squad this week with a rib problem.
It has taken Harlequins some time to get over the scandal. They made a slow start to the campaign, failing to win their first four matches and trailing at the bottom of their Heineken Cup pool, but they are unbeaten in their last four games.
Bloodgate is still a sensitive subject at the club with Williams's evidence to his appeal hearing leading to the resignation of the Harlequins chairman, Charles Jillings, while media pressure was exerted on Mark Evans to stand down as chief executive.
There were some who felt Williams would have to move clubs but the head coach, John Kingston, and the Quins captain, Will Skinner, ensured that Williams was welcomed back into the fold.
