Leicester boss Richard Cockerill says his side are "in with a fighting chance" of Heineken Cup glory if they can get past Toulouse next week.
Tigers fell two points behind Toulouse at the top of Pool Two after Sunday's 15-all draw with the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium, setting up a showdown at Welford Road next weekend, with only the group winners guaranteed a quarter-final place.
"We have set the occasion up for next week. That was our aim, and it should be a classic," said Cockerill.
"We are disappointed that we didn't win today and won't have a chance to be at home in the quarters, but we are set up for a winner-takes-all with Toulouse at Welford Road.
"(Against) anyone at Welford Road we will back ourselves to beat them. Toulouse are a very good side. We know they have got the class in their team, and they know how to win games.
"But if we get past Toulouse, and that's an if at this point, then we are in with a fighting chance.
"It was a very tight game. It was an arm-wrestle the whole time. We just weren't quite sharp enough today, which is a bit of a concern. We have got to be more accurate.
"If we had gone more than seven points behind I don't think we would have grabbed it back. Ospreys played very well, and credit to them. We couldn't have complained had they won."
Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy was obviously disappointed with the result.
"I thought we deserved more. It is a really deflated changing room," said Tandy.
"Most other teams would have thrown the towel in at 15-10 behind, but this group fights like no team I've seen or played in. They don't know when they are beaten, and they put in another massive shift today."
Comments
Rosbif says...
For next week, I can't help feeling that ST are not the team they could be/have been.... Botha, Burgess and Jauzion are in decline or not on form. Steenkamp and Johnson can't play every minute. Servat is stuck between player and manager and doing neither properly. Elissalde is very green as a backs coach - have we seen a single ambitious or creative attacking move all season? I guess winning T14 last year may have affected the mentality re recruitment in the close season. And also the money spent on the new training facility has meant Noves had less to spend. Then there are the injuries to key players like Dusautoir, but especially in the backline with Medard, McAllister, David, Fritz, Donguy, Matanavou, Clerc and now Fickou all injured for many weeks already this season etc etc.
All in all, this feels like a sort of transition year for ST. I expect them to offer stiff resistance in the set scrum, and for Picamoles to have some big carries, but ultimately to lose the breakdown/ref interpretation battle and the kicking/territory game, and with it the match and the QF spot.
Still, going to be fun to watch hopefully.....
ALLEZ both teams!!
Posted 13:40 14th January 2013
APV1 says...
Nice to hear some positive stuff from Cockers - d'ya think the RFU's slap on the wrist has made him bite his tongue..?
Posted 12:31 14th January 2013
sirtidychris says...
Great game to watch, not spectacular rugby but exciting all the same. Leicester looked tired today, the guys looked lacklustre, the backline lacked ideas and commitment with particulary average games from Flood, Allen and Tuilagi. in contrast the ospreys were fired up, committed in attack and thier work at the breakdown is the best i've seen this year...tipuric was immense. That said it was a draw....Leicester need more dynamism, i would suggest starting waldrom with croft from the bench, hopefully next week Leicesters backline will turn up, if thats the case it will be one hell of a game.
Posted 23:07 13th January 2013