Hamilton gets the scrum-half vote as the Tigers attempt to make history

Leicester and Munster are such peas from the same unyielding pod they might as well be staring into a mirror when they glance across the halfway line today. It would be greedy to expect a tighter, more atmospheric Heineken Cup final than last year's Paris showpiece but this afternoon's Anglo-Irish argument in front of a record 74,000 crowd will not be far behind.

For, if Leicester are the most relentlessly competitive of English teams, the same applies to Munster in Ireland. If Mick Galwey is the totemic leader of a fiercely self-motivated side, so is his opposite number Martin Johnson. Both squads also have proven goalkickers, plenty of cauliflower-eared experience, influential back-rows and quietly effective coaches who did not get where they are today by opening their hearts on the eve of big games.

If the sponsors were hoping for sweetness and light at yesterday's team announcements they were duly disappointed; Dean Richards rattled through his line-up as if it were an irritating shopping list and his mood darkened further when Munster's Declan Kidney claimed injuries would prevent him finalising his own side until match-day.

The big doubts remain Paul O'Connell (ankle), Rob Henderson (heel) and Anthony Foley (shoulder), with a further reshuffle now required on the wing after a freak training injury left Anthony Horgan with two broken bones in his right hand.

Leicester, for their part, have preferred Jamie Hamilton at scrum-half with Austin Healey playing at fly-half, but today's most intriguing decision will be whether European Rugby Cup Ltd opt to close the Millennium Stadium's sliding roof to keep out the blustery elements.

While the Tigers stand on the verge of becoming the first team to win the European Cup twice, the defending champions have never won a European tie in Wales and Munster are rarely worried by gusting wind or driving rain. The Irish province froze in the 2000 final against Northampton but, as Roy Keane has shown, a Munsterman with a sense of grievance can be devilishly hard to pacify.

The desire to give Kidney and his veteran prop Peter Clohessy a fitting send-off is frighteningly strong and trying to prevent emotion swamping concentration has been Galwey's priority ever since the semi-final. "I heard someone say Leicester are the most consistent rugby side in the world and I don't think anyone would argue with that," warned the Munster skipper. His opposite number Johnson summed up the players' view perfectly. "I think either team will take a scrappy game and a win rather than a classic rugby match and a loss."

Both sides must also suspect fate will play a part. So far this season Leicester have ridden their luck, not least in the semi-final when Tim Stimpson's winning kick in Nottingham bounced off half of Sherwood Forest before going over. Munster, in contrast, have reached Cardiff the hard way and, after heart-breaking defeats in the last two seasons, an Irish win would delight the romantics.

"It would tie up a lot of loose ends but Leicester won't be feeling sorry for us that Declan and 'Claw' are leaving," cautioned Munster's fly-off Ronan O'Gara. "It's a professional game and it's about the 80 minutes on the pitch."

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