Leinster coach Matt Williams has sounded a warning to Heineken Cup holders Leicester ahead of their quarter-final clash at Walford Road later this month. The Celtic League champions missed out on home advantage following Sunday's dramatic collapse against Toulouse, but nonetheless, Williams was in defiant mood when he declared: "I think you dismiss this Leinster side at your peril. We have shown in the past that we are capable of winning games like this."
However, Williams is not taking anything for granted against one of the perennial pre-tournament favourite. He added: "Having said that, we understand the enormity of the task and Leicester are a wonderful side with great talent. But we will go there with spirits high and plenty of confidence. We did win there a few seasons back - albeit against a weakened Leicester side - and we have won at Northampton too. What's more we proved ourselves capable of turning games around when we did just that against Munster recently. I think we are all looking forward to the game and hopefully getting through to the Heineken Cup semi-finals. That would be a tremendous achievement."
Meanwhile, Leicester coach Dean Richards has welcomed his side's 'little bit of luck' that handed them priceless home advantage against Leinster on January 27. The Tigers might have had a wobble at Llanelli – on top of benefiting from some wholly unintentional help from Matt Williams' side – but Martin Johnson's Heineken Cup holders remain on course to become the first team to make a successful defence of European club rugby's premier title.
A 24-12 defeat at Llanelli in a Pool 1 thriller ended Leicester's 11-match winning run in the tournament, and seemed set to condemn them to travelling away in the last eight. But Leinster's defeat at Toulouse 24 hours later handed the Tigers a top 4 seeding lifeline – ironically against Leinster at Welford Road. Leicester team manager Richards admitted: "It was about time we had a little bit of luck – and we certainly needed it. But now we are at the sudden death stages and our quarter-final at Welford Road should be a great match. Leinster won the Celtic League title and are the form side in Ireland this season so you could say it will be the form teams from England and Ireland against each other. Each match is now a one-off so it is vitally important we prepare properly and are really up for the quarter-final."
Filed by Shane Murray
