Clermont Auvergne have been given a huge confidence boost ahead of the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup after the coach of last season's beaten finalists described them as his tournament favourites.
Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill believes the French Championship leaders will go into the last eight as the team to beat after topping a fiercely-contested Pool 3.
Cockerill spent two years with Clermont between 2002 and 2004 and he knows better than most how much they would love to improve upon a largely unimpressive Heineken Cup record.
Clermont secured a home quarter-final following a bonus-point win at Viadana on Saturday, while Cockerill's Leicester endured a premature European exit with defeat at the Ospreys.
And although the former Heineken Cup winner believes the Ospreys have what it takes to become the first Welsh region to lift the Heineken Cup, Cockerill feels it is the French outfit who are the more likely winners of the continent's top prize.
"The Ospreys are a quality side. They've got quality throughout the side and off the bench," said Cockerill, after the Tigers were beaten 17-12 at the Liberty Stadium.
"They've got the personnel to progress and win the tournament…but there are some good teams in this competition.
"For me, Clermont would probably be the favourites.
"The power they have, in the forwards and the backs…and they've virtually got another team exactly the same as that. That's pretty impressive."
