\n<\/p>\n
Venue:<\/strong> AJ Bell Stadium <\/span>Date: <\/strong>Sunday, 14 May<\/span> Kick-off: <\/strong>15:00 BST<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Coverage:<\/strong> Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra & BBC Radio Leicester; updates on BBC Radio Manchester, live text coverage on BBC Sport website & app<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Leicester Tigers club captain Hanro Liebenberg says the squad’s desire to “never back down” from a challenge has helped put them in a position to defend their Premiership title.<\/span><\/p>\n They take on Sale in their semi-final on Sunday at the AJ Bell Stadium.<\/span><\/p>\n “We have the chance to do something special,” Liebenberg said.<\/span><\/p>\n Tigers clinched third spot in the Premiership table after winning six of their last eight games of the regular season. <\/span><\/p>\n Those victories were achieved back-to-back, with Saracens, London Irish, Bath, Gloucester, Bristol and Exeter all beaten in a run stretching back to February.<\/span><\/p>\n Before embarking on that burst Tigers had won just once in five league games and had seen Borthwick headhunted by England, taking defence coach Kevin Sinfield with him. <\/span><\/p>\n “The season has brought so many changes and disruption and we said ‘listen, if we all buy into this we can make a semi-final spot and anything can happen’,” added Liebenberg.<\/span><\/p>\n “We put ourselves in contention now and it’s all in our hands. It’s a massive challenge but one we’re looking forward to.”<\/span><\/p>\n The mid-season departure of Borthwick was a crossroads in Tigers’ season and Liebenberg says the squad could have “easily felt sorry for ourselves”, but decided to use it as a motivation to kick on under the new coaching team under former player Richard Wigglesworth.<\/span><\/p>\n “We never back down from any challenge,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “We did go through a bad spell midway through the season but we picked it back up with six games on bounce – not easy games too.<\/span><\/p>\n “I take my hat off to the whole coaching staff. Obviously, with Steve and Kev leaving. <\/span><\/p>\n “They’ve not taken a backwards step once and they’ve prepared us extremely well. <\/span><\/p>\n “They got thrown in at the deep end and they came out swimming. Hopefully we can deliver again this weekend.”<\/span><\/p>\n It is not just the change in head coach that Liebenberg has had to deal with this season. <\/span><\/p>\n At the end of March, Wigglesworth made the decision <\/span>to split the Tigers’ captaincy,<\/span><\/a> bringing in a ‘matchday’ skipper – with Julian Montoya given the role.<\/span><\/p>\n Liebenberg, who remains club captain having taken over from Ellis Genge when <\/span>he rejoined Bristol at the start of the season<\/span><\/a>, said it was a decision he supported.<\/span><\/p>\n “Me and Wiggy had a chat and I felt like I wasn’t playing as well as I was previously when I wasn’t captain,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “Being captain adds a bit of extra pressure – I put some extra pressure on myself and wasn’t performing the way I’d like to, and Wiggy said ‘let’s take some pressure off’.<\/span><\/p>\n “I was fine with it and respect every decision Wiggy makes, and Julian has been an absolutely brilliant captain and I’ve learnt so much from him.”<\/span><\/p>\n |