Old salt Back's all hands on deck to bale out Tigers

The Leicester Tigers PR guy acquiesced to a Neil Back interview but with the rider that there was no need for any mention of the now infamous incident in the closing stages of the 2002 Heineken European Cup final against Munster.

Peter Stringer shaped to put the ball into a do-or-die scrum in the Leicester 22 only for Back to palm it over to the defenders' side. French referee Joel Jutge - who incidentally is in charge of Saturday's game at Lansdowne Road - and his officials missed the sleight of hand that ensured Leicester clung on to a six-point lead.

The motive behind such an act has always been transparent: Neil Back is willing to go the extra inch for victory. Always has been. Always will be. Every domestic honour, a World Cup, two European Cups, a Grand Slam and winning a Lions series backs this up.

That will be the only legacy that matters when he retires at season's end.

Back is no stranger to adversity in a long career as it took him 25 years to gain international recognition, with successive England coaches believing he was too small. At 5ft 10ins and 14 stone eight pounds, Back was never going to dominate a game in the manner of a Martin Johnson. But dominate he has. It ensured his autobiography was easy to name: Size Doesn't Matter.

Countless Leicester and England tries have been the result of a lineout take and drive with Back in the cockpit, ball nestled under his arm, in the perfect position to flop over the line. Then there is his ability to stymie quick opposition ball. Some say old age has stunted this trait, at 36 he is one of the last dinosaurs, but England clearly missed this in the spring.

Defeat today would mean the fairytale departure of coach John Wells, captain Johnson and Back would be denied. Back has been around long enough to realise it never works out on the player's terms anyway, just look at how England discarded him after the World Cup: "We won't be standing there saying we want to win it because it is Johno's or Neil Back's last game. This is a very competitive club and we want to win everything we are entered into. The retirements and departures are immaterial."

After the hangover created by the World Cup when so many Tigers returned as damaged goods, there is another Zurich Premiership crown to be had and, in contrast to Johnson, Back has made himself available for the summer Lions tour.

"My focus has been 100 per cent on Leicester and that hasn't changed from the start of the season to now. If that puts me in a position to go on the Lions tour to New Zealand, obviously I'm going to say 'yes'.

"In '93 I was uncapped and didn't go. I was disappointed. In '97 and 2001 if I hadn't been picked I'd have been absolutely gutted but I'm in a position now where I have retired internationally and am in a win-win situation. If I don't go I will have a family vacation, if I do get picked I will be over the moon because it is the ultimate for a northern hemisphere player to go away with the Lions."

Soon he will turn the page from playing to coaching but the car will be parked in the same spot. Next season he becomes technical director at the club, a brief that comprises his current role as defensive co-ordinator as well as head coach of the academy.

Quentin Tarantino could not have done a better job conjuring up all of Saturday's sub-plots. Leinster's scrum will creak due to a fit again Julian White and Graham Rowntree but Ben Kay's absence through injury weakens the lineout.

Then there is Geordan Murphy back at right wing against Denis Hickie - Austin Healy has been dropped - while Eric Miller and Ricky Nebbett face their old teams.

Back's direct opponent will be Keith Gleeson, who got the nod over Shane Jennings. He knows he will be fully tested in the loose.

"Keith, I'm pretty familiar with. Jennings, obviously in my role as defensive coach, I've looked at a number of Leinster's recent games and he has really stood out for me. I'd almost be pleased he is not playing."

The backrow will be the central focus point. Leinster are yet to lay their cards on the table but they face Lewis Moody, Martin Corry and, of course, the man who spoiled Munster's final assault in 2002.

"Look, if that was done at any other point in that game we wouldn't be talking about it now," said Back when the Stringer issue was finally raised.

"It was a spontaneous thing, I've done it before, I did it then, I've done it since. It's part of the game. There are much worse things that go on. Let's just forget it. Lessons were learned by both sides as well. Stringer, I'm sure, won't let that happen to him again. It was just one of those things. I don't think any of the guys there had a problem with it as they understand it's part of the game."

He has the medal to prove it.