Pizza and soup are probably off the menu but this weekend rugby gears up for its Manchester United-Arsenal double header as the top two sides in England and possibly Europe meet.
The build-up has been far more mellow than Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger's mind games and war of words, with Leicester backs coach and Tigers pacifier Pat Howard billing it as little more than a "game of chess".
 There are unlikely to be many smiles during the two games |
But tell that to Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson, two of the most committed and easily wound-up players still on the global scene, who will be sworn enemies for the full 80 minutes of each game.
They first meet on Sunday in their pool one Heineken Cup game at the Causeway Stadium before Leicester turn hosts the following week for the return European leg.
Dallaglio and Johnson - both former England captains - are just two of six players from England's starting line-up in the World Cup final last November who will play on Sunday.
In the black corner of Wasps: Josh Lewsey, Matt Dawson and Dallaglio; in the green and white of the Tigers: Johnson, Neil Back and Ben Kay, not to mention replacement Lewis Moody, who helped secure Jonny Wilkinson's match-winning drop goal.
Were it a United-Gunners match, Dallaglio and Johnson would most likely be the Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira of the tie, niggling their way to gaining the upper hand at every corner.
There are a queue of people - the above two and Neil Back among others - who would take up the mantle of the double header's answer to the old warrior Dennis Bergkamp.
And as for boy wonders in the guise of Wayne Rooney, who better than Leicester's mercurial talent Harry Ellis - seen as England's future long-term scrum-half?
 | PREVIOUS MEETINGS |
As if it were needed, some extra needle has come courtesy of Tigers flyer Austin Healey's last-ditch try, which sealed a 17-17 Premiership draw between the two teams a fortnight ago.
Now all the big names are back from international duty with England and, along with Ireland duo Jonny O'Connor and Geordan Murphy, it is a mouth-watering prospect.
Whoever gains the upper hand could well be a firm favourite to go on to gain overall European glory come May.
Having already been defeated by pool rivals Biarritz, the Tigers would effectively be out of the competition if they lose both games to Wasps.
Should Leicester prove victorious, Wasps' European invincibility will finally be shattered, potentially leading them to spiral into a sharp demise along the lines of Arsenal of late in the Premiership.
Pool one of the Heineken Cup, which contains Leicester and Wasps as well as last year's beaten semi-finalists Biarritz, is the sort of group of death the Grim Reaper would find himself salivating over.
Biarritz are just four points off the top of the French league, while Leicester head the English top flight and Wasps second. Even Calvisano are a handful - particularly away from home.
Wasps director of rugby Warren Gatland has not been overstating it by calling the next two games a "Test-match series" such is the calibre of its stars.
And Lewsey, who is expected to be among the games' chief protagonists, added: "God knows what we did to get Biarritz in our group. But what is for sure is that the next two weeks promise to be one of the most competitive ever."
Sunday's kick-off cannot come soon enough.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Lewsey is a danger man, but we've dangermen too
