Welford Road hosts another crunch European Champions Cup match on Saturday as Leicester Tigers and Munster Rugby - winners of the trophy four times between them - meet in Pool 1.
Tigers became the first team to lift the trophy twice in succession in 2001 and 2002, while Munster hoisted the silverware for the first time in 2006 and again two years later.
Last season they met in the pool stages, with Tigers winning home and away on the way to the knockout stages, while Munster won the rematch in Limerick 38-0 last weekend to take top spot in the pool.
Now they meet again at Welford Road, where Tigers look to protect a run which includes just one defeat in ther last 32 European Cup fixtures stretching back a decade, though that was to another Irish province, Ulster, three years ago.
Last season’s Welford Road meeting with Munster ended in a 17-6 win for Tigers and made it four wins from four games in the opening stages of the tournament, with Vereniki Goneva and Ed Slater claiming vital tries. Re-live all the details from that encounter by clicking here.
Tigers call Pat Cilliers, Luke Hamilton and Jack Roberts into the starting line-up, with Owen Williams moving to fly-half. Mike Williams is among the replacements on his return from injury.
Munster name an unchanged team and travel on the back of a winning run in league and cup stretching back to October and sitting on top of the PRO12 Celtic League.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill anticipates another big European occasion at Welford Road in front of another big crowd and says there is still plenty to play for despite defeat last week.
“It was a really poor result last week and a really poor performance,” said Cockerill. “But credit to Munster, they are a very good side and they played very well. They didn’t allow us to play our game and we could not control territory or possession as we would have liked.
“But we have to move on. We have to put in a performance that the shirt deserves. What we did last week is nowhere near where we want to be or what this team is capable of. We need to front up and make sure the crowd sees the effort that we put in.”
Referee on Saturday is French official Pascal Gauzere.
Tickets are still available for the final home game before Christmas. Book in person at Welford Road or phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2). The office is open 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and from 9am on matchday. Or click here to book online any time.
For a full list of what’s in store, including some special Christmas attractions for supporters, click here for our Matchday Guide.
Supporters are advised to allow plenty of time for their journey during the Christmas shopping period. Car parks are likely to be busy in the city centre but there are public transport options, including Centrebus matchday services on four routes from Market Bosworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and Oakham. Click here for more details.
For more travel information, see the City Council website at www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk
Tigers became the first team to lift the trophy twice in succession in 2001 and 2002, while Munster hoisted the silverware for the first time in 2006 and again two years later.
Last season they met in the pool stages, with Tigers winning home and away on the way to the knockout stages, while Munster won the rematch in Limerick 38-0 last weekend to take top spot in the pool.
Now they meet again at Welford Road, where Tigers look to protect a run which includes just one defeat in ther last 32 European Cup fixtures stretching back a decade, though that was to another Irish province, Ulster, three years ago.
Last season’s Welford Road meeting with Munster ended in a 17-6 win for Tigers and made it four wins from four games in the opening stages of the tournament, with Vereniki Goneva and Ed Slater claiming vital tries. Re-live all the details from that encounter by clicking here.
Tigers call Pat Cilliers, Luke Hamilton and Jack Roberts into the starting line-up, with Owen Williams moving to fly-half. Mike Williams is among the replacements on his return from injury.
Munster name an unchanged team and travel on the back of a winning run in league and cup stretching back to October and sitting on top of the PRO12 Celtic League.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill anticipates another big European occasion at Welford Road in front of another big crowd and says there is still plenty to play for despite defeat last week.
“It was a really poor result last week and a really poor performance,” said Cockerill. “But credit to Munster, they are a very good side and they played very well. They didn’t allow us to play our game and we could not control territory or possession as we would have liked.
“But we have to move on. We have to put in a performance that the shirt deserves. What we did last week is nowhere near where we want to be or what this team is capable of. We need to front up and make sure the crowd sees the effort that we put in.”
Referee on Saturday is French official Pascal Gauzere.
Tickets are still available for the final home game before Christmas. Book in person at Welford Road or phone 0116 319 8888 (option 2). The office is open 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and from 9am on matchday. Or click here to book online any time.
For a full list of what’s in store, including some special Christmas attractions for supporters, click here for our Matchday Guide.
Supporters are advised to allow plenty of time for their journey during the Christmas shopping period. Car parks are likely to be busy in the city centre but there are public transport options, including Centrebus matchday services on four routes from Market Bosworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and Oakham. Click here for more details.
For more travel information, see the City Council website at www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk
