Leicester Tigers v Perpignan, Pool 5, Heineken Cup, December 19
Tigers target return to winning ways
ESPNscrum Staff
December 17, 2010
Toby Flood unleashes at kick at goal, Leicester v Bath, Aviva Premiership, Welford Road, Leicester, England, October 23, 2010
England fly-half Toby Flood will be back in Leicester colours this weekend © Getty Images
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Leicester will be hoping to take a step nearer this season's Heineken Cup quarter-finals when they play host to Perpignan at Welfrod Road on Sunday.

The Tigers slipped to a 24-19 defeat at the hands of the Catalans last weekend but a hard-earned bonus point ensured they retained top spot in Pool 5 ahead of this weekend's return clash.

Perpignan remain very much in the hunt and with the Scarlets also looming as a threat both sides will be feeling the pressure to reap some reward from this pool-defining clash.

Leicester Tigers - Player to Watch: Winger Alesana Tuilagi was a little subdued at Stade Aime Giral but is sure to raise his game for the Welford Road faithful.

Leicester Tigers - Team News: Richard Cockerill has made just one change, restoring Martin Castrogiovanni at tight-head following their scrum mauling at the Stade Aime Giral.

Perpignan - Player to Watch: Tight-head Nicolas Mas enjoyed his work last weekend at the scrum and another demolition job would go a long way to helping his side to a positive result.

Perpignan - Team News: The Catalans have been forced to rest points-machine fullback Jerome Porical on the orders of the FFR, with Jerome Schuster and Guilhem Guirado also taking time out. Joffrey Michel deputises for Porical while Marius Tincu wears the No.2 jersey. David Marty and Maxime Mermoz form a classy centre pairing.

Key Battle: It's going to be all about the set-piece this weekend and the Tigers will have been stung by their lack of bite at the scrum in France.

Trivia: Leicester's Manu Tuilagi was just 11-years-old when the Tigers won the Heineken Cup for the first time in 2001.

Stats: Sky Sports pundit and former England international Will Greenwood shares the Tigers' record for most tries in a Heineken Cup season with his mark of six in 1997-98 matched by Scott Hamilton's haul last season.

Quote Unquote:

"The club expects us not only to qualify for the quarter-finals, but to kick on from there. So do the supporters, and so do the players themselves. We can't countenance going out at the pool stage." - Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs

"Our goal remains to make it through our Pool and since we only have one home game left at Aimé Giral, we will have to give everything we've got to get the maximum number of points we can on the road." - Perpignan hooker Guilhem Guirado

Prediction: Perpignan don't do away days and Leicester have some points to prove - the stage is set for a classic Tigers riposte.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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