03/04/2008 - Leeds in mood to play
Michael Lipman has warned his Bath teammates to be wary of European Challenge Cup quarter-final opponents Leeds Carnegie at The Rec on Saturday (2.
15pm).
The England flanker has already helped Bath heap Guinness Premiership relegation misery on the Yorkshire club with two league wins over Leeds this season - 41-10 at The Rec and 34-15 at Headingley.
But the 28-year-old English-born Australian-raised back-rower reckons Stuart Lancaster's side will be dangerous opponents this weekend.
"They may be heading back to National 1, but they have nothing to lose this weekend," he warned.
"They put together a good campaign through the qualifying pools in Europe and they are in the last eight on merit.
"They will be coming to The Rec relaxed and in the mood to play the sort of heads-up, throw-it-about rugby they haven't been able to play in the Premiership this season.
"They have relaxed in the Premiership now that the relegation issue is all but settled and they've won a couple of league games lately because of that.
"That's why we mustn't underestimate them this weekend."
Bath and Leeds are among five English clubs - along with Sale, Newcastle and Worcester - to have made the last eight along with French sides Montpellier, Castres and Brive.
Sale tackle Brive at Edgeley Park tomorrow night with the winners lined up for a semi-final trip to The Rec, provided Bath see off Leeds.
In the other half of the draw, Newcastle take on Castres at Kingston Park while Worcester play Montpellier at Sixways for places in the other semi-final.
And Lipman admitted the prospect of a home semi-final date with Sale will act as an incentive for Bath, who went down to a 22-6 Premiership defeat by the Sharks in Stockport last Friday night.
"Losing at Sale last week was pretty upsetting," he admitted.
"We gave away too many penalties early on and Charlie Hodgson kicked us out of the game.
"The conditions were horrendous but that's no excuse because they were the same for both teams.
"It was one of those nights when the bounce of the ball went their way until the last 10 minutes when we got the try which wasn't awarded.
"In the second half we were by far the better side, playing some great rugby and it was hard to have to come away from the game with nothing.
"If Tom Cheeseman's try - in inverted commas - had stood, the outcome might have been different.
"Amazingly, though, for the third weekend in the last couple of months, we lost and so did Leicester and Gloucester, so we're still second in the Premiership table.
"We could so easily be down in fifth or sixth place and, on the other hand if we'd won the games we lost against Wasps and Sale, been seven or eight points clear.
"What we do know is there is no safety net in the European Challenge Cup - it's knockout rugby from here on and if you slip up, it's over.
"It'll be good to get back out in front of our own supporters and, hopefully, we'll be able to get some tempo and rhythm back into our game at The Rec.
"If we can generate quick ball and play good rugby, the result against Leeds should take care of itself and we can start thinking about the semi-finals."