Leicester Tigers vs London Irish Preview

The second Premiership semi-final is a tantalising match-up and no mistake.  Last season's losing finalists host the team that no-one would have expected to last this long, in a battle of two teams who finished the season strongly enough to push Wasps into fourth place.  Both teams are in try-scoring form, and it all points to a thrilling clash at Welford Road.

The home side continue with the back three that beat Northampton in such thrilling style on Good Friday and has carried all before them since.  The power of Alesana Tuilagi, the pace of Tom Varndell, and the trickery of Geordan Murphy have been vital to Tigers in recent weeks, a Varndell hat-trick seeing off Wasps and just about cementing both his first place in the try-scoring chart and his Young Player of the Year award.  Also back in the XV are Harry Ellis and Andy Goode, with Scott Bemand unlucky to miss out altogether, and Austin Healey on the bench.  With Louis Deacon suspended, Leo Cullen plays alongside Ben Kay in the second row.

Irish will by this stage have had just about enough of being patronised as the exciting, plucky underdogs.  Having rolled over Wasps at the Causeway Stadium with a display of magnificent rugby, they are here by right and will not be looking simply to make up the numbers.  With a back five that would be the envy of most teams, keyed by the intelligence of Mike Catt and powered by the searing pace of Topsy Ojo and Sailosi Tagicakibau, they are and have been more than a match for their last nine opponents and will be hoping to make it a perfect ten tomorrow.  In Bob Casey they have one of the league's top line-out thieves, and his battle with his Welford Road counterparts will be well worth keeping an eye out for.

Another game that's incredibly hard to call, this one.  Home advantage and nothing else has me leaning towards Tigers, but by no more than two or three points.