Paul Doran Jones admits he owes Gloucester a lot – but will put the niceties aside until after 4pm tomorrow (Saturday).

The 28 year old prop was playing in the Championship for London Welsh when he was handed the chance to make a name for himself in the Premiership by Gloucester five years ago.

Two years at Kingsholm were followed by two years at Northampton Saints, as well as five England caps, before Doran Jones was signed last summer by Harlequins, who Gloucester host this weekend.

He said: “Gloucester is where I really began my career – they plucked me from relative obscurity at London Welsh and gave me my big chance. There are still a lot of friendly faces there, but I don't expect it to be too friendly for 80 minutes.

“I owe them one, but and friendliness will go on hold until after the game. Just ask my old friend James Haskell – after we beat Wasps the other week he came back to my place for dinner, and he wouldn't speak to me for an hour and a half.

“We will have to be on our mettle to beat Gloucester, who are in a false league position. They have talent all over the park, including two great half backs and a back row who like to play with the ball.

“Freddie Burns is a great talent who is up there with anyone, as is Charlie Sharples, while Mike Tindall is still a wily old fox, and Ben Morgan is a big ball carrier.

“It will be tough up there, but we have shown in the games against Wasps and Newcastle that we can dig in when things aren't going our way. We've talked about putting in the performances and letting the results take care of themselves, but that hasn't quite come to fruition with the weather and the state of the pitches.

“We've had to work hard, digging out results we perhaps once wouldn't have, which shows how far this squad has grown. Even when we have fallen behind, we all know what our jobs are. I'm sure Conor O'Shea would like to keep more of his fingernails in tact, but it' kept us in the hunt.”

Injuries have prevented Doran Jones making much of a mark at The Stoop yet, and he admits the Quins fans are yet to see the best of him.

He added: “It's been very frustrating, but I've not been put under any pressure. It's not easy moving clubs and integrating, but I need to find my feet and do just that. I'm starting to do that, I just need to keep bedding in stay injury free. I'm from London and I want to stay here. I have a young family and I like it here.”

Meanwhile, Quins have announced that their try hero in Saturday's 18-14 win over Newcastle, winger Sam Smith, will be leaving for Worcester in the summer.