Champions Leicester have warned Leeds Carnegie that they will treat their relegation-haunted opponents like the 'best team in England' on Saturday, writes Sam Wheeler in this morning's Yorkshire Post.
The Tigers are chasing a second consecutive league and cup double, while their visitors are six points adrift at the foot of the Guinness Premiership; Leeds have never won at Welford Road and were well beaten by  Leicester at Headingley Carnegie in November.
However, there are no suggestions of complacency among the Midlanders, who are determined to recover from successive defeats.
"We've just lost two games - we'll take Leeds very seriously," said flanker Brett Deacon. "We need to recover from those losses and we will treat them with the respect they deserve. They are a good team; they put us under a lot of pressure at Headingley. They will want to come here and prove a point. There's not that big a gap between the top and the bottom of the Guinness Premiership - it's not like in football, where Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are a long way ahead. I think Leeds will cause us problems. We won't take them lightly at all."
Second-placed Leicester rested several leading players for their victory at Headingley but they have their international contingent available this weekend.
Deacon remembers Leeds's last visit to Welford Road, where they came from behind to take the lead with a storming second-half comeback, only to lose the game in stoppage time.
"That was an exciting game," said Deacon. "Leeds upped their game against us and I expect them to do the same again."
Tickets are now on general sale for Saturday's Guinness Premiership match between Leicester Tigers and Leeds Carnegie (kick-off 3pm).
Average attendances for league games at Welford Road this season have now topped 17,000 but there are still opportunities to buy seat or terrace tickets for Saturday's game and share in the matchday experience.
Tickets for Saturday can be booked from the Tigers ticket hotline on 08701 28 34 30, online at http://www.leicestertigers.com/. Ticket office hours are 8.30am-5pm Monday-Friday and 9am-2pm on Saturdays.