Prop David Flatman says Bath are confident about facing Leicester in the Guinness Premiership play-offs despite losing to the Tigers in Europe.

Bath went down 20-15 in the last eight of the Heineken Cup and have lost to Leicester three times this season.

But Flatman told BBC Points West: "When they told us it was Leicester at the Walkers there were no heads going down.

"We go there in great spirits expecting a hell of a clash, a Tigers onslaught, and want to play the rugby we love."

Bath have lost three of their four meetings against Leicester this season, but there has been less than a score in each of the games.

And Bath are taking confidence from the fact that they have outscored the Tigers in terms of tries scored in all four games as well as some recent training runs that head coach Steve Meehan has called some of the best of the season.

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And even without a host of big-name players who are unavailable for selection after a long, hard season, Flatman says Bath have more than enough to challenge a 'pumped' Leicester side who will make light of their exertions in the Heineken Cup semi-finals last weekend.

He added: "We lost Matt Stevens earlier in the season who was a front-line player for us, we've lost Danny Grewcock, Mike Lipman, Daniel Browne and Butch James. That's half the salary cap!

"But we've got a good squad and there's no 'How are we going to win without these guys?'.

"We've lost at the Walkers already and we lost at Welford Road, both very, very narrowly and we did ourselves justice for 78 or 79 minutes of each game.

"Outside of our changing room and some very loyal supporters not many expect us to win, but we've had some good sessions.

"There's no need to go over the top because we're not going to get any fitter or stronger, so we've had some real zip and the hot weather really suits the game we want to play which is high tempo, quick, expansive and attacking. Hopefully that'll happen for us."

Team-mate Nick Abendanon echoes Flatman in saying there is "unfinished business" for Bath in this fixture.

And the full-back is hoping a fast pace to the game can help open up gaps against a potentially leggy Leicester side off the back of that blood-and-thunder Heineken Cup semi-final win over Cardiff that went to extra-time and a penalty shoot-out.

"A few of their big lads looked pretty dead on their feet and coming into the last 20 minutes we're going to try and take advantage of that and try and get some mis-matches against their big guys," Abendanon told BBC Points West.

"Some teams tend to go into their shells in semi-finals and finals and kick a bit more ball away.

"But Steve's really tried to instil in us that we've got to go out there and play the rugby that we've been playing all season, because if we play at a high tempo and intensity then Leicester aren't going to live with us.

"That's what we're going to go out and do. If it doesn't pay off in the first half and we've got to tighten up and kick a bit more then that's what we'll do, but we're going to do everything in our power to win the game."

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