European Cup: A recent French championship match between Toulouse and Stade Francais attracted almost 80,000 fans to Stade de France. With the capacity of Saturday's venue, Stade Charlety, limited to 20,000 there will be no records broken when two of the biggest clubs in the competition meet. The fixture, however, maybe a defining match in Stade's pursuit of their first Heineken Cup trophy.
Having lost to Ospreys last weekend, Stade have their backs to the wall with Leicester arriving in Paris armed with a significant Irish force of Shane Jennings, Geordan Murphy and Leo Cullen and an attitude that the Parisian team are ripe for the taking. It is not in Leicester's psyche to disabuse themselves of such notions despite the fact that the teams have met three times before and Leicester have won only one, albeit, the Heineken Cup final of 2001.
Only fullback and wing Murphy was at the club four years ago but the arrival over the summer of second row Cullen and open-side flanker Jennings, as well as outhalf Ian Humphreys and former Newbridge College fullback John Murphy, has added to the greening of the midlands club.
Once again Murphy, Jennings and Cullen are first picks to start from a Leicester squad that features 18 senior internationals from England, Ireland, New Zealand, Samoa, Wales and Argentina. The battle for a shirt is the first weekly contest for most of the players but Jennings sees that as being no harm at all.
"I was apprehensive when I came here. But it's a refreshing change," he says. "I'm not in the comfortable surrounds of Dublin and I'm away from home, family and friends. But it makes you work harder to get selected. In the back row there are a lot of lads that could step in and with Leo, too, in the second row, there are a number who can easily slot in."
Jennings and Cullen share a house in the city and made the decision to leave Leinster when the end of last season unravelled. Facing Stade in Paris is the biggest match they have faced with the club. "I've never played them before," says Jennings.
"They have an extremely good pack and back row. Their number seven (Remy Martin) has just been selected for the French squad. It is always a challenge to play against players at the top of their game and he is."
Coach Pat Howard has been forced to make one change to his starting line-up. His in-form England winger, Leon Lloyd, is ruled out with an arm injury but, typically, Leicester have an international to replace him in Samoan star Alesana Tullagi.
Stade, too, must reassemble their back line, the Welsh trip putting centre Stephane Glas and winger Julien Arias on the injury list.
"If you get off to a bad start you've an awful lot of work to do afterwards to get back in," says Jennings.
"If we get a win or some sort of result in Paris, that would be good. But we've played well this week. Heads are looking for a win and nothing else will do.
"That is the way we go into games. Them losing last week will obviously make it more important for them to turn out a massive performance."
That is certainly the view of the Stade players, who understand the significance of losing the two opening games. Canadian lock Mike James is under no illusion.
"We've got to bounce back pretty quickly after the defeat against the Ospreys. If we don't then our Heineken Cup campaign will be more or less over," he said.
The greening of Leicester: Five of the best
JOHN MURPHY
Went over to Leicester for a trial in August and they liked the look of the former Newbridge College fullback from Naas. Murphy scored on his debut with the Leicester 'B' side, coming on as a substitute in the Guinness A Premiership on September 19th. A try and two conversions made sure the club continued to keep the young player on their books
GEORDAN MURPHY
Joined Leicester in 1997 and shortly afterwards was noticed by selectors this side of the Irish Sea. Made his Irish debut against the USA, scoring twice. Played in all of Ireland's international Test matches last season ans is regularly a man-of-the-match winner for Leicester. In the 2001/02 season he finished as the Tigers' top try scorer in all competitions.
IAN HUMPHREYS
The outhalf joined Leicester during the summer from Belfast Harlequins. Younger brother of Irish outhalf David, Ian has played at Irish under-21 level and captained the Ireland team at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong. Selected to play for the Barbarians last November, he scored a try and three conversions.
LEO CULLEN
A first pick second row for Leicester, Cullen joined the club during the summer from Leinster, where he played from 1998 in a number of Heineken Cup campaigns. He has won 17 Irish caps since his international debut against the All Blacks in 2002.
Also played Irish schools, under-19 and under-21.
SHANE JENNINGS
Arrived in Leicester at the same time as Cullen and they now share a house in the city. Again Jennings left Leinster at the end of last season looking for a change of environment. Like Cullen, he has impressed enough to be the first pick openside flanker. Was in the running for man of the match last week with Geordan Murphy and Martin Corry.
