Llanelli Scarlets have impressed in Europe this season but captain Simon Easterby believes they will need to "raise the bar" in tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown against Leicester.

The Scarlets are one win away from reaching their first Heineken Cup final, a feat no Welsh team have achieved since Cardiff finished as runners-up in the inaugural competition 11 years ago.

Martin Corry and his treble-chasing Tigers stand between Llanelli and a place at Twickenham on May 20th, having warmed up by lifting the EDF Energy Cup last weekend.

Corry's men are also chasing Guinness Premiership title glory, but the twice European champions will now return to Walkers Stadium, a venue their supporters have considerable anxiety about following successive Heineken losses against Toulouse and Bath.

Llanelli are unquestionably in the form to make it an unwelcome hat-trick, reaching the tournament's penultimate knockout stage by reeling off six out of six pool wins - including Toulouse and Ulster away - before eliminating defending champions Munster.

Irish international Easterby said: "When you beat a side like Toulouse, who are one of the best teams in Europe and have won the tournament on three occasions, then you realise it could happen for you this time.

"We've raised the bar this year, and we will be looking to raise the bar again on Saturday. We realise the enormity of the occasion and of the test. Leicester are well used to winning tournaments - they won one last weekend against the Ospreys.

"Tigers are very good at getting ahead and then strangling you and squeezing the life out of you, so we have to make sure we start well and are competitive from the off.

"That final was obviously a tough match for the Tigers, but they will take a lot of confidence out of the fact they won the game.  They are on a roll and full of confidence, but we have put ourselves in a great position, and although the semi-final is away from home we are in with a shout.

"As long as we give our all, that is all that can be asked of us. We've done that throughout the season, and hopefully that will be enough."

Easterby is among a handful of survivors from the Llanelli side beaten 13-12 by Leicester in a gripping semi-final five years ago.

The Scarlets seemed poised for victory, but were then undone by a mammoth late Tim Stimpson penalty that bounced over via the post and bar.

Easterby added: "I am probably the same as a lot of sportsmen - you remember the horrible defeats more than you remember some of the victories.

"It was unusual, to say the least, the way the match ended. And obviously, we'd had the semi-final against Northampton two years prior to that, which we also lost to a late kick.

"Those things happen in rugby, and hopefully in the long-run they make you stronger as individuals, but it does take you a while to get over it."

Leicester will be without props Martin Castrogiovanni (hamstring injury) and Marcos Ayerza (suspended) for the Scarlets clash.

Tigers appealed Ayerza's three-week suspension imposed after he was cited for striking Stade Francais flanker Remy Martin during the Heineken Cup quarter-final victory earlier this month.

The ban has now been reduced to 18 days, but it means Ayerza cannot start playing again until April 27th, so Alex Moreno packs down in Tigers' front-row tomorrow alongside George Chuter and Julian White.

Four other changes from the side that triumphed at Twickenham see starts for full-back Geordan Murphy, fly-half Andy Goode, lock Louis Deacon and flanker Lewis Moody, who has recovered from a knee injury.

Leicester:G Murphy; T Varndell, D Hipkiss, D Gibson, A Tuilagi; A Goode, H Ellis; A Moreno, G Chuter, J White, L Deacon, B Kay, L Moody, S Jennings, M Corry (capt). Replacements: G Hickie, M Holford, L Cullen, B Deacon, F Murphy, S Vesty, S Rabeni.

Llanelli Scarlets:B Davies; D James, R King, G Evans, M Jones; S Jones, D Peel; I Thomas, M Rees, D Manu, V Cooper, S MacLeod, S Easterby (capt), G Thomas, A Popham. Replacements: K Owens, J Davies, I Afeaki, N Thomas, L Davies, C Thomas, M Watkins.

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland).