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LEICESTER TIGERS v ULSTER RUGBY
THE BIG MATCH Tigers welcome Ulster Rugby in the tournament’s last four...
A place in a European final could be just 80 minutes away for the players of Leicester Tigers and Ulster as they run out at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. Two-time European champions Tigers are bidding to reach a sixth final in Europe - following appearances in the Heineken Cup showpiece in 1997, 2001, ’02, ’07 and ’09 - while Ulster also have pedigree as winners in 1999 and finalists in 2012. Tigers reached the semi-final in their debut Challenge Cup a year ago while Ulster had never played in the competition until meeting Harlequins in the knockout stages this term. Ulster are among a select group of visitors to have achieved European
success at Welford Road, winning twice at this stadium, and have a 7-3 advantage over Tigers in terms of previous meetings. The men from Belfast followed up their big win over Quins with a defeat of Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens in the quarter-finals, while also finishing second in their PRO14 conference behind eventual champions Leinster. They kicked off their Rainbow Cup campaign last week with a narrow defeat at home to Connacht, but did welcome back international lock Iain Henderson for his first game since the Six Nations. Ulster were the last visitors to win in Leicester in a European fixture, clinching victory by a single point here in January 2019.
FROM BOTH SIDES Belfast-born fly-half Ian Humphreys had captained Ulster Under-21s before joining Leicester in 2005 from Belfast Harlequins. A leftfooted long-range kicker with a turn of speed ball in hand, he started the historic win over Munster at Thomond Park in 2007 and played for Ireland ‘A’ against England Saxons on his home ground before joining Ulster in 2008. A regular there for four seasons, he had two years at London Irish before ending his career as he’d started in his home province.
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