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Rugby Union

"Electric" Twickenham excites Hook

10/04/2007

James Hook has told of his excitement at the prospect of playing at Twickenham for the first time in his fledgling career when his Ospreys side take on Leicester Tigers in the EDF Energy Cup final on Sunday.

The Welsh side will be looking to upset the Guinness Premiership giants in the first of the two European trophies to be contested as the rugby union season begins to build to a climax in the next few weeks.

And the event will be more keenly contested as doubts remain whether it and the Heineken Cup will even go ahead next season after a boycott by French and English clubs was announced last week.

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old Welsh international is concentrating on the game itself and what he is expecting to be an "electric" atmosphere.

"It's going to be exciting. A lot of the boys haven't played there before but we are playing well," he said.

"It's not far off being a full house. We've sold a lot of tickets, which just shows the ambition of the fans and the type of rugby we have been playing lately. It's going to be great."

Hook was wary of the threat posed by Leicester's powerful pack and international-calibre backs division but insisted that his side would not be overawed.

"We will just concentrate on our own game, as we have been doing all season," he continued.

"It would be great for Wales, especially for the fans who are going to turn up in their thousands. We're confident, we've had a good runs of wins and we just can't wait for it really."

The dispute over the tournament's future rumbles on and it is still not clear if Sunday's winner will get the opportunity to defend their title next season.

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