By Rob Hodgetts

Sackey is relishing the Heineken Cup clash with Leicester

HEINEKEN CUP FINAL
Sunday, 20 May
Twickenham
Kick-off: 1430 BST
Live on BBC Radio Five Live, local radio commentary and on the BBC Sport website

Winger Paul Sackey believes the Wasps back-line are being overlooked in the rush to focus on Leicester ahead of Sunday's Heineken Cup final.

Leicester are eyeing an historic treble and much of the build-up surrounds huge wings Alesana Tuilagi and Seru Rabeni.

But Sackey, who hopes to reignite his England claims after injury, says Wasps possess a potent threat of their own.

"Everyone's talking their backs up but we're going out there to spoil their party," Sackey told BBC Sport.

"Our backs have never been talked about in the past because our forwards dominate games.

"But we've won three championships on the trot, the Heineken Cup and the EDF Energy Cup, and we've got an awesome back-line. There's only one non-international in the team in Dan Cipriani and hopefully he will be one day."

We're really disappointed we haven't got any silverware yet this year and that motivates us even more Paul Sackey

Samoan Tuilagi, who weighs in at 18 stone, and Fiji's equally powerful Rabeni were instrumental in Leicester's humbling of table-toppers Gloucester in Saturday's Premiership final to add to their EDF Energy Cup victory last month.

But the 14st 4lb Sackey, who won his first two England caps in the autumn before missing the entire Six Nations with a knee injury, says their formidable reputation only fuels his desire to do well.

"We'll try to stop Leicester's patterns and go-forward from the two wingers because they use those guys in most of their moves," he said.

"They're both playing awesome rugby at the moment, but that motivates me a little bit more.

Samoa's Tuilagi scored twice in the Premiership final against Gloucester

"Guys they've been going up against recently don't want to tackle but I've been working hard and hopefully I can come out of it on top and make a name for myself this weekend."

Sackey, 27, cracked his right knee cap just after Christmas but marked his return with a two-try man-of-the-match performance to fire Wasps into the Heineken Cup final at the expense of Northampton.

And he is desperate to remind England coach Brian Ashton of his talents in World Cup year after Wasps, Leicester and Bath players were ruled out of touring South Africa with England because of their European final commmitments.

Sackey won his first two England caps last autumn

"It's very frustrating because I might have had a chance to show on tour that I've still got it," Sackey said.

"But looking positively, I'm playing in the Heinken Cup final, we could be European champions and I've still hopefully got a chance of playing for England if I play well in this game."

Leicester's powerful backs, allied to an uncompromising forward pack, make for a formidable combination and they are favourites to win their third Heineken Cup and first since 2002.

The Tigers also defeated Wasps 40-26 at the end of last month to deprive the Londoners of a Premiership play-off place for the first time.

We'll give them a serious run for their money and they should be quite worried about us Paul Sackey

But Sackey insists Wasps, European champions in 2004, will be inspired by two years ago when they lost heavily to Leicester at Welford Road in the last game of the season before beating the Tigers in the Premiership final a fortnight later to seal a third straight crown.

"Talking Leicester up is half a bonus for us because we're the underdogs. We're really disappointed we haven't got any silverware yet this year and that motivates us even more," he said.

"I think we can match their physicality and get into them and it will be a combination of stopping Leicester dominating and playing our own game.

"We've got awesome players - a lot of young players in the likes of Tom Rees and James Haskell and then a lot of experience in Lawrence Dallaglio, Fraser Waters, Alex King and Josh Lewsey.