'You realise how special it is': Dan Cole revels in Leicester's European revival

03/30/2023 05:00 PM

Prop's club play Edinburgh in the last 16 of the Champions Cup on Friday after missing out on the competition in recent years

The Leicester prop Dan Cole says the club's failure to qualify for the Champions Cup in recent seasons has made him realise how special the competition is. The Tigers welcome Edinburgh to Welford Road on Friday night in the last 16 of Europe's biggest knockout tournament, with a quarter-final against Leinster or Ulster the prize for the victors.

Leicester have been accustomed to playing in the top-tier European competition, but entered the Challenge Cup in 2019-20 and 2020-21, losing to Montpellier in the Twickenham final in the latter campaign. Leinster eliminated Leicester at the quarter-final stage last season, but qualification for this season's Champions Cup was emphatically secured by winning the Premiership title last May.