In his Rolling Maul, blog for The Times, Stephen Jones think's it's about time that the Heineken Cup final was a classic contest.
"The Heineken Cup as an event is still bubbling beautifully along but the final itself has gone off the boil, with only two of the last five considered classics. However much we admire commitment and tribalism, there must be more for the neutral if the Heineken final is truly to take its place amongst the elite European sporting events, such as the Champions League final.
"The last true, all-time epic was the stunning Wasps-Toulouse match in 2004. Last year’s final, when Munster beat a shocking Toulouse, was magnificent from the Munster point of view and had a great atmosphere but was a tiresome experience for any neutral.
"Leicester and Leinster do not have to bother about the wider perspective. Victory is everything for them, quite rightly. Leicester’s chances depend on how well they bounce back from the Guinness Premiership triumph last week when they often looked tired and how well they can target a Leinster front row unrated by serious judges anywhere in Europe."
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