HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINAL
Venue:
Millennium Stadium Date:
Sunday, 3 May Kick-off:
1500 BST Coverage:
Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Leicester and online, plus text commentary on BBC Sport website. Live on Sky Sports 2
Cockerill happy with Tigers 'underdog' tag
Leicester Tigers head coach Richard Cockerill is not concerned his side are seen as underdogs in their Heineken Cup semi-final against Cardiff Blues.
Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester: "Cardiff can be favourites, that's okay - they are a great side so I have got no issue with that.
"But we are a good side too so don't discount the rugby we've been playing.
"They might be favourites to everybody else but in our dressing room we are confident we can win."
Cardiff have already won the EDF Energy Cup this season and have been heavily tipped to continue their progress in Europe as well.
But Cockerill added: "We will go out there and play and do what we do well. It's all ifs, buts and maybes but pundits do get it wrong sometimes you know.
"I'm not concerned about what other people say. We've worked really hard this week, we've got a squad that's fitter than it's ever been and I'm more than confident we can go and do a job."
Leicester fly-half Toby Flood is also wary of the threat Cardiff pose but feels he and his team-mates are capable of beating them at the Millennium Stadium.
The Tigers thumped Bristol 73-3 in the Guinness Premiership last weekend and Flood told BBC Radio Leicester: "Coming from our biggest win of the year has done the boys the world of good.
"We realise what a tough test we've got - Cardiff have been playing some fantastic rugby recently, they are looking strong, winning games but the guys are quite excited by that and looking forward to the challenge."
And Flood feels his side have to believe they can translate their impressive domestic form onto the European stage.
"You've got to back yourself," he explained. "If you look at the quality in our squad, we've got to back ourselves as a good team who can beat any other team on our day.
"Cardiff will be sat there in their changing room thinking exactly the same thing. We're looking at it as a game we want to win and think we can win.
"We've had one blot on our copybook against Newcastle [a 14-10 defeat on 27 March], but apart from that we've been looking very strong ourselves."
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