Cockerill to give Tigers inside lane?
Richard Cockerill knows just how tough it will be for Leicester at Clermont Auvergne this weekend but the Tigers boss is backing his side to cause an upset.
Cockerill spent two years with the French giants as a player a decade ago, immersing himself in the culture and earning the respect of the Clermont faithful with his fearless approach to front-row play.
He can still remember the buzz of the Stade Marcel Michelin and it has come to no surprise to him that last season's finalists can boast a huge winning streak on home soil in all competitions and haven't been beaten there in the European Cup since Sale succeeded in 2008.
"I had fantastic time in Clermont. Leicester and Clermont are two pretty similar clubs," said Cockerill, whose side finished second in Pool Five and qualified for the quarterfinals as the competition's best runner up.
"Clermont haven't lost at home for 74 games. That record speaks for itself. There will be a fantastic atmosphere at the Stade Marcel Michelin and it will be very hard to win there.
"We all know Clermont's strengths, with a powerful pack and world-class players such as Brock James, [Aurélien] Rougerie, [Sitiveni] Sivivatu or [Naipolioni] Nalaga. They're a fantastic club and a fantastic team. We will have to be very good in defence and keep focused on what we do well.
"The pressure is on Clermont, though, as they aim to claim a European title. We will go there with our own strengths, play as hard as we can, and we'll see what happens," he added.
And while he admits that his side travel across the English Channel as massive underdogs, Cockerill has seen major improvements in recent weeks, culminating in a huge East Midlands derby win at Northampton Saints last Saturday.
Things seem to be starting to really click for Cockerill's team, with Manu Tuilagi's return from injury undoubtedly boosting the cause and results like the weekend's triumph at Franklin's Gardens ensuring they head to France on a high.
"We will be very well prepared and the team is getting stronger every week," added Cockerill.
"We have a lot of international players, including some Lions players who came back tired after the tour of Australia. We didn't have such a good start to the season but we're getting better and we have built our season game after game. Key players have been missing at points but, except for Tom Croft and Geoff Parling, everyone will be okay for Clermont.
"It was a fantastic win against Northampton. The effort from the players was unbelievable. The effort across the board defensively, bally carrying, set-piece and the mentality in coming to Franklin's Gardens where they haven't lost all season in the league, with a partisan crowd, all the things that you have to deal with, I thought we did that exceptionally well.
"Clermont will be a lot tougher than coming to Northampton. We've got to go there and, as much as we can, enjoy it. Nobody expects us to win. We'll throw the kitchen sink at them and see what comes out of it. If there's any team who can go to Clermont and win, it's this one."
