KIDDERMINSTER rugby star James Percival will be cheering on his Harlequins team-mates from the sidelines as they try and maintain their excellent form after a broken bone in his hand ruled him out for up to six weeks.

The 25-year-old flanker suffered a double break in the middle finger on his right hand to ensure he will miss a crucial chunk of Quins quest for glory on two fronts.

Up until his injury the powerful forward had been an integral part of the squad which is challenging for a play-off spot in the Guinness Premier League and has booked a quarter-final place in the Heineken European Cup.

Despite the set back, he is determined to be back in time to play a crucial part in Quins search for silverware.

“Things had been going really well, Harlequins have been in great form and we’re battling on two fronts for glory.

“I broke my hand in training, which is frustrating because it’s never good to be out for any amount of time.

“I’ll have to watch from the sidelines but with all the big games we’ve got coming up I’ve got plenty of motivation to make sure I’m back as quick as I can.

“I was never much good at catching a ball so this injury isn’t going to help me,” joked Percival.

Quins are only four points behind fourth placed Bath in the Premier League and are determined to make up for narrowly missing out on a place in the championship play-offs last season.

The team had looked on course to make it into the top four, until a 31-28 defeat against Leicester meant that the Tigers qualified for the competition’s knockout stage and not the London club.

Percival said: “We missed out by the smallest of margins when we lost to Leicester in the last game of the season and that has worked as extra motivation for us.

“Now we’re on a roll and we’re determined to get ourselves into the play-offs.

“We’ve lost a few to the Six Nations but the squad is big enough to cope with it.”

Quins also made sure they progressed into the last eight of the Heineken Cup by seeing off Scarlets 29-24, a game in which Percival grabbed a rare try.

Victory also confirmed their place in the top four seedings and a home tie against Irish outfit Leinster, which is set to be played at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday, April 12 (3.30pm kick-off).

“Reaching the last eight of the competition illustrates the quality we have in the team and now we have a very tough game against Leinster,” said Percival.

"We'll be playing at home, which is important, so we've got a great chance of getting through."