Sport : Rugby Union

LEICESTER WARY OF SARACENS

11th May 2012, 07:24am

Richard Cockerill: Expecting a tough encounter

Richard Cockerill: Expecting a tough encounter

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill knows his side face the toughest test of the season when they tackle defending Aviva Premiership champions Saracens.

Saracens have become Leicester's nemesis over the past few years with Mark McCall's men having won their last three games at Welford Road - including a six-try thumping earlier in the season - as well as securing the Premiership title against them at Twickenham.

And although Leicester are unbeaten at home since October 8, Cockerill knows an eighth successive play-off final appearance is far from guaranteed.

"It will be tough, and close," Cockerill said. "They generally are, apart from when we played at the start of the season.

"They have got a good record here. In fact, I can't remember the last time they lost.

"We will have to be right on it, especially after they put 40 points on Exeter last weekend."

Harlequins or Northampton will await the winners at Twickenham on May 26, with the regular league season's first and fourth-placed finishers also facing each other on Saturday.

Quins finished top of the pile, and they will defend the Premiership's best home record this season - nine wins and two defeats - against a Saints side in its third successive play-off semi-final.

Northampton, though, have won three of their last four away games, including a critical victory at play-off rivals Exeter last month.

"We are learning all the time, and this is our third play-off in consecutive years," Saints rugby director Jim Mallinder said.

"Harlequins will quite rightly be confident because they have been the most consistent team in the league. They have won the most games by a large margin so they deserve it.

"But we will go in there and will quietly give it a go. We have a bit of momentum. Look three games back and we were struggling a little bit, but we went down to Bath and won well there.

"We then had the must-win game down at Exeter, and when we needed to we played well.

"We need to play well this weekend because Harlequins are a quality side and they are playing with confidence, but when we play at our best we are a good team."

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