Louis Lynagh replaces Luke Northmore in Harlequins' only change to the starting XV for their trip to Top 14 leaders Montpellier in the first leg of their Champions Cup last-16 tie.

Andre Esterhuizen and Joe Marchant are in midfield outside usual half-back pairing Danny Care and Marcus Smith.

Former Bath number eight Zach Mercer starts for the hosts.

France second row Paul Willemse and former Saracens prop Titi Lamositele are alongside Mercer in the pack.

Cobus Reinach, who spent three seasons at Northampton, is at scrum-half, while Italy international Paolo Garbisi is picked ahead of Leicester-bound Handre Pollard at 10.

For the first time, progress to the quarter-finals will be decided by aggregate scores over two legs with Harlequins hosting the return match on 16 April.

If Quins advance to the last eight they will face more French opposition in the shape of last season's runners-up La Rochelle or Bordeaux-Begles.

Montpellier, who beat Leicester in the final of last year's European Challenge Cup, are five points clear at the top of their domestic league.

What they say

Harlequins coach Tabai Matson: We're off to play one of the best sides left in the competition.

Montpellier have kicked the ball 50 times more than any other team in the Top 14 and clearly we want to run the ball an awful lot so it's going to be a real contrast of styles.

This is what Europe is all about, it's about facing teams who play different to the way we want to play so it's a challenge we're all really looking forward to as a group.

Match stats

Line-ups

Montpellier: Bouthier; Rattez, Darmon, Doumayrou, Ngandebe; Garbisi, Reinach; Forletta, Paenga-Amosa, Lamositele; Chalureau, Willemse, Janse van Rensburg, Galletier, Mercer.

Replacements: Giudicelli, Rodgers, Haouas, Dakuwaqa, Aprasidze, Pollard, Tisseron, Verhaeghe.

Harlequins: Jones; Lynagh, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Marler, Walker, Collier; Symons, Tizard; Hammond, Lawday, Dombrandt (capt.)

Replacements: Gray, Kerrod, Louw, Jurevicius, Wallace, Gjaltema, Edwards, David