NEW Worcester Warriors hooker Scott Baldwin is relishing a return to former club Harlequins this weekend.

Warriors face the reigning Gallagher Premiership champions at The Stoop on Saturday, looking to build on their opening day victory over London Irish.

Baldwin made his debut in that game and now looks set for a second consecutive appearance in a Worcester shirt against his former employers.

The Welshman lifted the trophy with his Quins teammates at the end of last season before moving to the Warriors.

So going from the top of the table to the bottom, what was the reason behind the move?

"I have played with JT (Jonathan Thomas) and had discussions with him before I left the Ospreys, about working with him at a club (Bristol you would assume)," said Baldwin.

"But also for my family, they wanted to get back to Wales so it's nice to be able to move back there so I have a nice work life balance."

"And then I spoke with JT and Mark Irish and there was a great desire here to bring the club up and it was good to be part of those discussions.

"I have ambitions of going into coaching after rugby so that was another avenue that this move gives me.

"It's nice to be able to come in and be a bit of a leader and try and pass on some of my experience.

It will be the second club where Baldwin links up with a former player as his coach, having worked under Welsh legendary prop Adam Jones at Quins.

He says working with a former teammate has it's advantages and was full of praise for his ex-Ospreys colleague Thomas.

"I had the same thing with Adam Jones at Quins so I am used to it," said Baldwin

"JT's (Jonathan Thomas) top dog now but we still have conversations about things in the game, he is a good person to learn from.

"He's the coach, I'm the player but we both have knowledge in different areas so it's good to have those discussions with him.

"As a player he always drove high standards, which is why he went on to get the international caps he did.

"He was a great athlete and we together are trying to drive those similar standards here as well."

The former Osprey Baldwin left Quins in the best possible way - winning the league title - and is now looking forward to re-uniting with good friends.

"It was a good way to go, to leave winning the title," he added.

"But I still have a lot of friends there and it will be a fun weekend, a few smiles on faces and I'm looking forward to going back to a packed out Stoop.

"Adam Jones dropped me a text but I won't tell you what he said, and I've had a bit of banter with a few of the boys so it'll be a good weekend."