Tigers ready to roar in ‘pool of death’

LEICESTER have been involved in so many Heineken Cup “pools of death”, it is a wonder the Tigers are not extinct.

For a third successive European campaign, Leicester have drawn the shortest of short straws, finding themselves bracketed with European champions Munster, a resurgent Cardiff Blues and enigmatic French challengers Bourgoin.

Tigers head coach Pat Howard though, just shrugs his shoulders as he plots Leicester’s latest bid to recapture a trophy they last won in 2002.

“We seem to get a group of death each year,” he said.

“Two years ago, we had Wasps as Heineken Cup holders and Biarritz, who are not exactly the weakest side in the world.

“Then last season, we had the Ospreys as the Celtic League champions, plus Stade Francais and Clermont Auvergne, who are two of the biggest clubs in France.

“And we’ve got a nice tough pool again this year, with Munster, Cardiff and Bourgoin. I think pretty much every group has at least two very strong sides — ours has got four.”

Leicester have been England’s Heineken Cup standard-bearers.

In nine European campaigns, they have reached three finals — winning the tournament twice — and only failed to reach the knockout stages on two occasions, in 2000 and 2004.

But a four-year gap since they last lifted Heineken silverware through victory over Munster in Cardiff, equates to a lifetime for Tigers fans.

That Millennium Stadium success was Leicester’s last title of any description, so Howard is acutely aware he will be expected to successfully navigate his way through a group which sees Tigers open against Munster at Welford Road on Sunday.

Howard said: “For anyone to get out of our pool they have got to be playing really well, and the best team will come out of it after some big games along the way. Even getting out of the pool in this tournament though, guarantees you nothing. For the knockout stages, you just start again.

“You have got to deal with how the competition is laid out to you. The interesting time, particularly, is going to be rounds three and four in December.

“We are going to have a significant amount of our guys away playing representative rugby throughout November, and trying to gel the side back together in a short space of time for Bourgoin home and away is going to be a really big challenge.”

Leicester are already only one win away from reaching a final — the EDF Energy Cup — after winning their pool with a game to spare.

“We are building, and we know the opening two Heineken games later this month are very big games,” said Howard.

“We know where Munster put the European Cup — it is well on top of their pecking order. If you cannot get up for Leicester versus Munster, you might as well not play the game.

“The challenge for all four teams is to get out of the pool. That’s going to be the first hurdle, and any team that looks beyond that could come adrift.”