For a snapshot of Fereti Tuilagi's qualities, look no further than his biceps. Not only do they bulge like a python's coils at dinner time, a matching pair of inch-thick tattooed bands have been added for extra effect. Those brave enough to look closer will find the name of his old Catholic college in Apia, the Samoan capital, scrawled higher up his left arm. He is clearly not just a strong man but a loyal one too.

Leicester cherish players with those sorts of qualities, fully aware that shaking off Llanelli in tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final in Nottingham will require both power and collective desire. Their two previous try-less encounters with the Scarlets this season have contained passages of such shuddering intensity that Martin Johnson rates Llanelli as a tougher proposition than the full Wales team. This time the stakes are even higher.

And, if there is one man capable of making Llanelli shiver alongside the Trent, it is the 30-year-old "Freddie", a jovial juggernaut who has never hidden his preference for physical contact. Since signing from St Helens in the summer of 2000 - he could have been in today's Challenge Cup final had he stayed at Knowsley Road - injuries have frequently held him back but Dean Richards, the Tigers' director of rugby, suspects the club may shortly be rewarded for its patience.

Asking Richards to outline why he signed Tuilagi is on a par with Mrs Merton's famous "So what attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" line of inquiry. "Because he's an exceptional rugby player who we felt gave us something other clubs didn't have" - in other words, a winger whose presence alone unnerves others, not least Leinster's Gordon D'Arcy in the quarter-finals. Wingers across Britain rejoice if Tuilagi's name is not on the team sheet. Their rationale is simple: no FT, no torment.

The Tuilagi approach is certainly straightforward. "When you get the opportunity to run at space you look for it. But most of the time there is hardly any room, so all you can do is take it up and try and get your forwards on the front foot. Contact is a large part of my game and I just love it." He flashes a wolfish smile. "The quality of defence has improved a lot, so you have to run as hard as you can."

And how is Freddie hungry. He missed last year's Heineken Cup final through injury and has played only 17 games this season, scoring five tries including the one which clinched Tigers' fourth successive league title earlier this month. A groin problem kept him out for five months last year, followed by a bad back and, finally, knee ligament damage. "Over the last few weeks I've started to regain full fitness and enjoy my rugby again. It was so frustrating missing out on the final last year."

Cult hero

Those in union, and there are a few snipers out there, who underestimate his ability should take another look at his CV. In league he was a cult hero, with dreadlocked "Freddie" wigs still to be found in cupboards across St Helens. His uninhibited dance of delight up the touchline after Saints won the Super League Grand Final is still fondly remembered and it was only a desire to have one last fling in union which prompted a move to Leicester after the briefest of chats with Richards. "I wanted to achieve something in union and looking at the history of Leicester it was obvious I would have a chance of doing that."

He was also in the Samoan squad for both the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups and the Tuilagi family could be out in force at next year's tournament. Freddie, who has two sons of his own, has seven brothers - "all the boys are bigger than me" - and two of his siblings, Alex, a 21-year-old wing, and 24-year-old Henry, a No8, have been invited for trials with the Samoan national team. A chance to add to his meagre tally of eight caps would also ease Tuilagi's dismay at the abandonment of England's proposed summer tour. "I'm very disappointed. The supporters of Manu Samoa would have been really proud to see the English team. It would have been awesome for the people."

As a kid growing up in Apia, Tuilagi's best childhood friend was another talented Samoan wing, Brian Lima, who attended the same schools and played for the same Marist club. Lima, once the more feted of the pair, now finds himself trapped in the wreckage of Swansea's dreadful season while his mate stands one win away from a European final. The door to glory is ajar and Tuilagi is not the type of player to stop and knock politely.

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