By Nick Mullins BBC rugby union commentator

You did not have to listen that carefully this weekend to hear the sound of a Tiger stirring in its lair.

While the heavy Christmas traffic roared along Welford Road outside and the football folk gave Dennis Wise a festive welcome half-a-mile away, Leicester's rugby brethren were finding their voice for almost the first time this season.

Leicester had been written-off in newspaper columns and even in their own dressing room.

Austin Healey had been led to the same conclusion as plenty of others after a spluttering start to the season.

Here was a team who had only lost four games on the way to the title last season.

Leicester enjoy a strength in depth that is still the envy of every club in Europe

Now they had lost five even before the big fat bloke in red had made his way down the chimney.

Yet I have always had my doubts about this "end-of-an-era" business since it first sprung up in the opening weeks of the season.

And on a wet East Midlands afternoon last Saturday, maybe the first signs that this team are still the ones to beat emerged.

To score 50 points against anyone in the competitive environment of the Heineken Cup is one thing, to do it against a French side is another.

Beziers might lack the star-appeal of other cross-Channel raiders, but Leicester dominated in a way they have struggled to do so far this season.

Beforehand, captain Martin Johnson wondered if they had become a bit complacent, if they had lost the fire that powered them to an unprecedented defence of the Heineken Cup.

The honesty and character after a week's hard work at the Oval Park training centre came through on matchday.

Geordan Murphy has been a key figure for the Tigers

Even without the likes of Tim Stimpson, Ben Kay, Neil Back, Lewis Moody and Josh Kronfeld, Leicester enjoy a strength in depth that is still the envy of every club in Europe.

Geordan Murphy left you wondering how the Ireland selectors have only picked him 11 times.

Ollie Smith showed glimpses of why Richards thinks he is the best outside centre in England at the moment.

And while it would be unfair to pick out anyone from the pack, Louis Deacon exhibited the learning curve he has been riding while bigger names have been on international duty.

For what it is worth, I reckon the quarter-final line-up will look like this - Toulouse v Ulster, Leinster v Munster, Llanelli v Gloucester and Leicester v Northampton.

There are, of course, another two weekends of pool games in the New Year before then.

But it seems that anyone hoping to tread the path to the Heineken Cup in Dublin next May will have to barge the champions out of the way first.