Cockerill warns Leicester to focus

Leicester v Bath may not be the blue riband fixture of old, but Tigers' acting head coach Richard Cockerill says fans to expect an epic at Welford Road today.

The Premiership champions entertain their opponents a week after both had resounding wins. Shorn of World Cup players such as Martin Corry and Dan Hipkiss, and still without their coach-elect Marcelo Loffreda, who will stay with Argentina until the conclusion of the Pumas' campaign, Leicester still beat Bristol 26-13.

Bath were inspired by their 20-year-old Academy winger Jack Cuthbert, whose two tries helped ease them to a 29-15 home win over Worcester.

As a hooker with Leicester in the 1990s, Cockerill was involved in some titanic battles with Bath. And he has warned his players to treat their opponents with respect or risk losing a home record of one defeat since January 2004.

"Bath had a big win last weekend against a good Worcester team, so we know they are playing well and they carry some threats," Cockerill said. "I told the players they had to go out and earn it at Bristol, and I think we earned the win. The commitment was second to none, we controlled the game well and we took our chances.

"But what happened at Bristol is done. We are very happy that we won there, but Bath has to be our only focus. If we get ahead of ourselves or start thinking we are better than we actually are, we know Bath can punish us."

Today's other games see Harlequins entertain newcomers Leeds, while Wasps travel to Worcester with both sides looking to avenge opening defeats. The weekend's biggest match takes place tomorrow when pre-season title favourites Saracens and Gloucester meet at Vicarage Road, with the Cherry and Whites' Lesley Vainikolo looking to build on his five-try debut against Leeds last time out.