Tigers Find Their Teeth

Now skipper Neil Back is eyeing a home quarter-final after back-to-back victories over Ulster and The Dragons.

"If we beat Stade Francais, and win well, we could finish as one of the top four quarter-finalists - and we all know what that means.

"The crisis at Leicester was only ever in the media, not at the club. We have ridden the storm now.

"This season we have struggled with consistency due to the World Cup and a pretty bad injury list. We are still not able to field a full strength team but we are getting there.

"Our forwards are now getting the consistency back and we are never short on desire. We are all in this together.

"We have had to get used to one another again and starting to get key people back onto the field.

"We knew the last two weeks were must-win games for us. Now we have to go and do it at Welford Road against Stade Francais.

"We know at Leicester what it takes to win the Heineken Cup and I think we definitely have a squad capable of winning it again.

"The longer we play together the better we will get."

Stade Francais Paris - who went down 34-30 to the Tigers in a pulsating 2001 Heineken Cup final in Paris - knocked Ulster out of the Pool equation on Saturday with a narrow 13-10 victory.

Diego Dominguez, who kicked all 30 of his side's points in that Paris final and has topped the 600-points mark in tournament matches, will again be the dangerman for Leicester Tigers.

"We are ready," he said. "This match is like a final for us, it's that important. It's all or nothing - whoever wins goes through.

"I think at Stade Francais we are up to the challenge now. We have competed in a difficult Pool in the Heineken Cup and we have played well, getting better all the time.

"Of course, it would be easier for us if this were a home match, but you have to adapt and we will have to play as if we were playing at our home ground.

"You could say if we won this match, it would go some way to avenging our 2001 final defeat to the Tigers. Life, and sport in particular, constantly presents you with ways to make up for past errors and missed opportunities."

And The Dragons coach Mike Ruddock believes the Pool could provide the ultimate Heineken Cup winner.

"Whoever comes out of this pool can go on and win the title," he said. "When Leicester put their mind to it as they did against us, they are as good as anyone."