Cipriani back to take on Tigers in cup showdown

Mar 21 2008 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

WASPS skipper Lawrence Dallaglio has voiced his respect for Leicester as England’s greatest club rivals prepare to lock horns once again.

The two sides collide in tomorrow’s EDF Energy Cup semi-final at the Millennium Stadium with a place in the Twickenham showpiece on April 12 awaiting the winners.

Wasps claimed the last major showdown when they denied Leicester an unprecedented treble with a 25-9 victory in the Heineken Cup final last season.

“It’s a huge game – a cup semi-final in a competition Leicester won last year and we won the year before,” said Dallaglio.

“There’s obviously a lot of respect at Wasps for Leicester. Between the two of us we try to win as much as we can in the professional era.

“There’s a real appetite for silverware and this game is really exciting.

“The two teams know each other well and hold each other in very high regard. The secret behind our success is hard work.”

The contest will see the return of Danny Cipriani to club competition after the England sensation starred in Saturday’s 33-10 victory over Ireland.

Cipriani’s profile has rocketed but Dallaglio is backing the 20-year-old to take the adulation in his stride – thanks to his grounding at Wasps.

“That’s the whole ethos of Wasps – to get people up to that level and make sure they stay there.”