Motivation will certainly not be a problem

Another England-Ireland showdown, another Leicester-Munster showdown. Not that you'd grow weary of them.

Far from it. Besides, what with last season's Backhander in the Cardiff final, Leicester's brinkmanship over tickets, and Martin Johnson's pre-match stand-off in Lansdowne Road two weeks ago, there's enough needles in this one to fill a haystack.

Sounding a good deal more apologetic now than he did shortly after his sleight of hand had impeded Peter Stringer's feed at the last scrum in last year's final, Neil Back commented: "I'm expecting to get a pretty vocal reception. Because of what has happened since last year's final I do regret what I did. But if it had happened in the first half of the game would anyone have been talking about it now?"

Munster certainly shouldn't lack for motivation and Alan Gaffney could probably confine his pre-match team-talk to "see you later", though most of the aforementioned grudges will be peripheral to the Munster mindsets.

They've enough to be going on with in just focussing on the magnitude of the task facing them.

Munster's trek to the near impregnable Welford Road fortress is about as daunting as any of these English-Irish head-to-heads in recent times.

No wonder the Tigers were reluctant to move from their lair: they hardly ever lose there. One defeat in 60 league games, and just two defeats in 22 European Cup home ties, the more recent being in a dead rubber against Leinster three seasons ago.

Then there's the baggage that comes with this competition, which is never more in evidence than at this stage. Of the 24 quarter-final ties to date, 20 of them have been won by the home side.

At this stage last year, as the then Leinster assistant coach Alan Gaffney well remembers, Leicester mauled his side into the Welford Road mud. But they can play it fast and wide too: witness the way Geordan Murphy's cutting edge (scoring one try and creating the other three) helped them into a 25-0 lead against Sale.

Sale last week and Leinster last year had the pace and cutting edge out wide to hurt Leicester and, as a result, each threatened an unlikely comeback, but as Gaffney concedes, Munster are not similarly endowed, so the onus on them to make a good start and preferably be ahead at the interval is possibly even more imperative.

The teams that have overcome Leicester and made their domestic crown slip this season, Northampton and Wasps primarily, have done so by not taking a backward step, by taking them on at the gainline and at the breakdown, toe to toe, fist to fist if it comes to it.

A suspicion lurks that Leicester have slipped from their pedastal, that in fact they could be vulnerable to a Munster which is more balanced and potent in attack than in last year's decider with Jeremy Staunton, Mike Mullins and Anthony Horgan all on from the start, and possibly Rob Henderson (a decision on him or Jason Holland has been left until today or even tomorrow) at his more effective inside centre's role.

But it could be wishful thinking.

Either way, the Munster tyros, Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell, up against Martin Johnson and Ben Kay will be a match worth watching all on its own.

It won't be pretty. It'll probably be dog ugly, dogs of war stuff. Cool heads may prevail, for there'll be precious few about.

LEICESTER TIGERS: T Stimpson; G Murphy, L Lloyd, R Kafer, S Booth; A Healey, T Tierney; P Freshwater, D West, D Garforth, M Johnson (capt), B Kay, M Corry, W Johnson, N Back. Replacements: G Chuter, F Tournaire, J Kronfeld, A Balding, H Ellis, S Vesty, F Tuilagi.

MUNSTER: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, AN Other, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, J Williams (capt), A Foley, A Quinlan. Replacements: S Kerr, J Blaney, M O'Driscoll, D Leamy, D Malone, AN Other, D Crotty.

Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales).

Previous meetings: (2001-2 final) Leicester 15 Munster 9.

Formguide: Leicester - 16-16 v Neath (a), 63-0 v Amatori & Calvisano (h), 24-12 v Beziers (a), 53-10 v Beziers (h), 40-22 v Amatori & Calvisano (a), 36-11 v Neath (h). Munster - 16-35 v Gloucester (a), 30-21 v Perpignan (h), 64-0 v Viadana (h), 55-22 v Viadana (a), 8-23 v Perpignan (a), 33-6 v Gloucester (h).

Leading try scorers: Leicester - Steve Booth, Geordan Murphy 4 each. Munster - John Kelly, Anthony Foley 4 each.

Leading points scorers: Leicester - Tim Stimpson 51. Munster - Ronan O'Gara 76.

Betting (Paddy Powers): Handicap odds (Munster +7pts) 10/11 Leicester, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Munster.

Forecast: Leicester to win.