Tigers ready to roar against Toulouse
Leicester coach John Wells accepts that the pressure will be on when his Tigers tackle Toulouse tomorrow – but claims he would have it no other way.
Both clubs, true heavyweights of the European game, are chasing a record third Heineken Cup crown, with Leicester having been crowned kings of Europe in 2001 and 2002, while Toulouse were the 1996 and 2003 champions.
Leicester City’s Walkers Stadium will be packed to its 32,000 capacity with the winners facing Stade Francais or Biarritz in next month’s Edinburgh final.
“This competition has got bigger and brighter, and there is far more pressure now on clubs to do well in Europe than there was at the beginning,” said Wells.
“But it is no different to the sort of pressure that Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson go through in football.
“There is no point being in this job if you don’t want to be in there where it hurts. I think it (Heineken Cup) has more passion and fervour to it than the Six Nations, because there are potentially up to 12 sides who could win it.”
Leicester are geared up for their stiffest test of the European campaign, and even a Tigers team containing 13 internationals might not be good enough to topple the French aristocrats.
“If the French come here with their siege mentality, then no-one will be able to beat them, but if there is a chink, then it is anybody’s game,” added Wells.
“They have the best set of club backs in Europe, and if they get good quality ball, then they are going to be a real handful.”
