Tykes given full points, as Tigers aim for win

LEEDS coach Daryl Powell has expressed his delight after Tykes were awarded maximum points from last weekend’s postponed Heineken Cup clash against Calvisano.

The decision, made following a European Rugby Cup (ERC) board meeting in Dublin, means that Leeds are now level on points with Pool Two rivals Cardiff Blues, who visit Headingley on Sunday.

It also leaves Tykes with an outside chance of reaching the quarter-finals, although to progress they would probably have to claim a bonus point against Cardiff and hope other results work in their favour.

The Calvisano game, originally due to be played last Saturday, was called off by referee George Clancy due to a frozen pitch at the Centro Sportivo San Michele. He declared the surface fit 24 hours later, but Leeds refused to play, believing the pitch was still unsafe.

Calvisano now face misconduct complaints from the ERC’s disciplinary officer for failing to prepare a suitable venue and for refusing to fulfil a rescheduled fixture.

The complaints were lodged after submissions from the ERC’s venue director and the match referee, and following correspondence with both clubs.

Calvisano face a potentially sizeable financial penalty while ERC have decided that the game should not be replayed, handing Leeds five match points and four tries.

While the news is likely to surprise Cardiff and infuriate French giants Stade Francais, who are in contention for a best runners-up spot from Pool Three, Leeds can now press on with their quarter-final ambitions.

Leicester, meanwhile, will put their Heineken Cup ambitions on the line in France tonight - with Tigers’ England lock Louis Deacon saying they cannot contemplate failure.

The 2001 and 2002 European champions need just one point from a Pool Three clash against Clermont Auvergne, at Parc des Sports Marcel-Michelin, to secure quarter-final status.

Having steered themselves into pole position with a stunning victory over Stade Francais, last weekend, Leicester should now cross the finishing line with second-placed Stade trailing in their slipstream.

“When you can beat a side of Stade Francais’ quality, it gives you a massive amount of confidence for future games,” said Deacon.

“We will be going to Clermont to get a win...It would be a disaster if we went there and lost and didn’t qualify.”

Tigers head coach Pat Howard has made three changes from the side that beat Stade 29-22 at Welford Road, drafting scrum-half Harry Ellis and flankers Brett Deacon and Luke Abraham into his starting line-up, for the game against his former club.

Ellis replaces Austin Healey, with Deacon starting instead of Will Johnson and Abraham taking over from Irishman Shane Jennings, who suffered a shoulder injury against Stade.

“Austin has been doing really well for the club, and his form this season has been excellent,” said Howard.

“Austin knew before the Stade match that Harry would start against Clermont.

“Shane, because of the nature of his injury and the short turnaround between matches, won’t be risked.”

Leicester are back in action barely 120 hours after a gripping encounter against Stade.

“It is a short turnaround between games, but that’s something I have got to deal with,” said Howard.

“We are not going to do a lot of training - it’s more about the mental side and a lot of classroom work, and the guys have to know what they are doing.

“Clermont have got a bigger pack than Stade, and not many teams beat Clermont in Clermont, but that is what we are going out there to do. We are not going just to pick up a point, we want to win and to get out of this pool first would be a pretty good achievement.”