Corrigan's admiration for Tigers

By John Haughey

Corrigan (left) will need plenty of determination against Leicester

Leinster captain Reggie Corrigan respects Leicester more than any of the other powers in European Cup rugby.

Back in October, before this year's Heineken Cup had even started, the veteran spoke of his admiration for the Tigers' killer instinct.

"We need a degree of ruthlessness. We've had it occasionally, but never consistently," he said of Leinster.

"Wasps had it last year, but the team you'd associate it with most is Leicester in their heyday.

"No one wanted to go near them home or away. They had that total refusal to accept defeat and that collective ability to keep doing what they did best."

Five months on and Corrigan and his Leinster colleagues are facing up to a contest with the club that he has so admired.

The Leinster and Ireland prop hasn't been listening to those voices who claim that this Tigers side isn't a patch on the triumphant Heineken squads of 2001 and 2002.

By getting the number one slot you would have thought we might have got someone slightly easier Reggie Corrigan

Leicester scraped into the last eight as the second best qualifiers after edging out defending champions Wasps in a their pool, which was eventually topped by Biarritz.

Leinster, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals in style as the only unbeaten side in the competition but their reward is a tussle with the English giants.

"Leicester are one of toughest teams in Europe and by getting the number one slot you would have thought we might have got someone slightly easier," says Corrigan.

"They are a real superpower and a fantastic team who are well and truly on the way back up.

"They have been rebuilding for the last couple of seasons after winning those two finals in 2001 and 2002 but now they are right back up there at the top.

"It is going to be a very difficult match for us, even playing at Lansdowne Road."

We were desperately disappointed to go out in the semi-final stage two years ago to Perpignan Reggie Corriga

A 47,000 sell-out crowd will cram into Lansdowne Road on Saturday but such large numbers in the dilapidated old Dublin ground failed to inspire Leinster in the semi-finals two years ago when they choked horribly against Perpignan.

One thing for sure is that Leicester don't lack bottle but on the evidence of recent seasons, the same cannot be said about the Leinstermen.

Leicester's pedigree in the competition is daunting. They won those back-to-back titles and in reaching the last eight this year proved just how dogged and forceful a side they can be with the two thrilling victories over Wasps.

"They have vast experience in players like Martin Johnson and Neil Back and they won't feel intimidated playing in Dublin," says Corrigan.

"It is a very big challenge for us and I am hoping that home advantage might give us just the lift we need to make it through to the semi-finals.

"We were desperately disappointed to go out in the semi-final stage two years ago to Perpignan. A lot of those involved in that match are still in the squad and we want to make up for that disappointment."

In addition to forward legends like Johnson and Back, Brian O'Driscoll and Geordan Murphy will be in opposition with the likelihood as well that Gordon D'Arcy will be in action for Declan Kidney's Leinster.

It has all the ingredients of a thrilling sporting contest.