Blues and Tigers ready for 'brutal' battle

The Blues lock is hoping to make it 13 wins in a row against English opposition in all tournaments and are seeking to add the Tigers' scalp to that of Gloucester, who they hammered in the recent EDF Energy Cup final at Twickenham Stadium.

"Leicester are a quality team and they will turn up knowing they can with the game. They are very powerful up front and have a lot of flair behind," said Tito.

"It is going to be a pretty brutal affair because both sides have got strong packs. The crowd are certainly going to get their money's worth from this game.

"We've had a good week building up to the game, but there has been a bit of tension in the air in training. We are all pretty fired up.

"We know this is a massive game for the Blues - the biggest in the history of the franchise since the game went regional in Wales."

Tigers' club captain Martin Corry is missing the game through injury. That means Geordan Murphy will captain the English Premiership leaders.

The Millennium Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the Irish international full back. He scored a try when the Tigers beat Munster in the 2002 Heineken Cup final in the Welsh capital and had the satisfaction of kicking the ball into the stands at the ground to bring down the curtain on Ireland's first Grand Slam in 61 years in the Six Nations.

"We're in good shape and looking forward to a huge contest. The Blues are unbeaten in the competition this season and you have to respect them for that," said Murphy.

"But there is a big prize on offer, a place in the Heineken Cup final, and we will be chasing it hard."

The two teams will play in front of an expected crowd of around 50,000. Tickets for the game will be on sale on Sunday from the Millennium Stadium Ticket Office (02920 822425) and are priced at £40, £30, £20 and £10 for concessions.

Tickets on the day of the game are also available from Ticketline, in Westgate Street.