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Harry Potter: Table points count for 'bugger all'
By Chris Jones
Harry Potter helped Leicester Tigers finish top of the Gallagher Premiership table but typical of a player who spent his formative years in Australia he insisted the achievement meant “bugger all” when it comes to the home play-off semi-final with arch rivals Northampton on Saturday.
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Potter, who was born in Wimbledon, has made 28 appearances in all competitions and delivered another solid performance as Leicester battled to subdue Wasps 20-10 to finish the season unbeaten in the league at home. Leicester also created history as the first team to lead the Premiership table after every round of the season. Potter said: “It is nice to finish top but it is going to mean bugger all. You could say we are close (to the title) but at the same time it is a long way to go.
“Finishing seven points clear at the end of the regular season isn’t any comfort but it does give us some satisfaction after a long old season and while it is a nice little achievement it won’t mean anything in a very short period of time.
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“Mattioli Woods Welford Road is a great place to play and it will be pumping next weekend and if that gives us a little more momentum then we will take it and with 24,000 people the atmosphere will be something else and I am looking forward to playing in front of it.”
Tigers completed the double over Northampton in the regular season but with Dan Biggar pulling the tactical strings for Saints, this will be a ferocious encounter between two in-form teams. Potter, who scored seven Premiership tries, is taking nothing for granted and added: “We have got finals rugby coming up against Northampton who are a very good team. It is doubly good being an East Midlands derby and a semi-final and we know how dangerous they are with ball in hand and there are a lot of threats they will pose but we are home.
“There was pressure against Wasps but no doubt it will be a step up next weekend and we need to go to another level. We have to be at our best against Northampton and have attack it like we have done the whole season and hope for the best.
“Northampton are very dangerous and switch from defence to attack and move the ball really well and they can also play good finals rugby and that will offer different threats.
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“Wasps turned the screw on us and we are happy with the win, It was a bit like finals rugby with a few big moments that were key and we managed to pull it off. We didn’t know if having a week off without a game was going to be a good or a bad thing but being such a long season it is nice to have time off. But we worked hard in the week and this win was good preparation for the semi-final.”
