Nick Evans insists Harlequins are focussed on playing their own game and have not been thinking about revenge ahead of their derby with Saracens. 

Quins host Saracens in round two of the Gallagher Premiership in what is expected to be a packed-out Twickenham Stoop on Saturday.

They began the season with a bonus point 40-31 win over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park last weekend – while bitter rivals Saracens had their bye week. 

It is the first time the two sides have faced each other since the feisty Gallagher Premiership semi-final last season, which Saracens won 34-17. 

But attack coach Evans made it clear that his side have been concentrating on playing rugby. 

He said: “I don’t think that’s been said this week (revenge), we’re just focusing on the rugby side of things and building our rugby part of the first couple of games. 

“I think we all know it is going to be a fantastic game and a fantastic occasion, it’s a sold-out Stoop, so that’s great continuing on from last year which is brilliant for the club. 

“We’re welcoming one of our big rivals, and like I said we’re focusing this week on the rugby, and I think there is nothing more than that. 

“They have always been a tough game, ever since I came over in 2008, they have always been a challenge, you want to put yourself against the best and they are certainly in the top two.” 

Harlequins are the only team to have reached the semi-finals in the last two seasons, but they were unable to repeat their feats of the year before when stunning Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on the way to their second title. 

But despite falling to a 17-point defeat on the day, Evans believes it was a tightly contested game. 

He said: “The squad are all really excited for the challenge, we definitely reviewed the semi-final when coming back through pre-season and we made sure we delved into it. 

“It was against a really good team and that’s probably most important to realise, they are a very good team and it doesn’t really matter who puts the jersey on, they have a fantastic squad and they’re very well coached. 

“We’ve just been concentrating on the rugby part of it and making sure that we look back at the semi-final. 

“I think if you look at pretty much all of the stats, it’s pretty close, tackles and carries and all the nitty gritty stats that everyone looks at, I think it shows that it’s such fine margins in games like this. 

“We certainly look at a few moments where we didn’t execute and where we created opportunities and didn’t finish them, and also conversely on the other side of the ball where they won those moments and it’s just bridging the gap really. 

“But both teams are at the start of the season, so you’re trying to iron out that cohesion and abnormalities and things are probably not as fluid as they would be in a semi-final, but that adds to the drama of the day on Saturday.”