Leicester Tigers the 'new boys' in quarter-final as Leinster challenge awaits

Ben Youngs believes 'it is going to take something special' for Leicester Tigers to beat Leinster on Saturday evening and advance to the semi-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup.

The Irish province will arrive at Mattioli Woods Welford Road with a squad packed full or internationals, many of whom have not featured since their Round of 16 second leg rout of Connacht.

England's most-capped men's international Youngs has started both of Tigers' subsequent games against Harlequins and Bristol Bears as his only club secured a Gallagher Premiership semi-final. Achieving the same in Europe's top competition will be the biggest test of Steve Borthwick's resurgent side so far.

The 32-year-old addressed how his side will handle the pressure of taking on the four-time winners.

"Recognise that it is a big game, firstly, and we all do," Youngs said. "Then understand that it is going to take something very special from us as a group of players, and then get excited about it.”

It is the first time that Tigers have been in the quarter-finals of the top tier of European Rugby since 2016, when they advanced by beating Stade Francais before being knocked out by Racing 92. Since then, the club has been to the brink of relegation and dropped into the second-tier Challenge Cup, but Youngs is relishing the prospect of the club being back in the biggest of games.

“From my point of view, it's been a long time since I've played in a quarter-final, he said. "So we're a little bit of the new boys in this quarter-final of rugby, that's why for us we really acknowledge what's coming and the effort that it will take, but it allows us to be excited about this week."

The last time that these teams met in the competition was back in 2009 in the final,