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Leicester Tigers and England great Austin Healey has backed his old club to pull off a Premiership and Heineken Cup double.

Richard Cockerill's side face two finals in seven days, facing London Irish at Twickenham on Saturday, before travelling to Edinburgh where they play Leinster the following weekend.

Healey was a key part of the Tigers side that completed back-to-back domestic and European doubles in 2001 and 2002, and thinks the present Leicester vintage have what it takes to complete a hat-trick.

"I think they'll win both games. London Irish have lost Faan Rautenbach and Nick Kennedy which will make life slightly easier for Leicester, because those are two big, strong guys at the contact point," he told Eurosport-Yahoo! ahead of the Premiership final.

"So Leicester will beat London Irish and I can see them beating Leinster as well."

A potentially glorious finale looked unlikely when South African coach Heyneke Meyer left Welford Road in January, but Healey thinks his former team-mate Cockerill has done a remarkable job since taking the reins.

"Halfway through the year it was touch and go. When Heyneke Meyer left, there was a bit of a transition into Richard Cockerill taking over, and he has done an amazing job," added Healey.

"I think the way they are coached, the way they play the game, their approach, their togetherness; it's what is making them stand out. Their fitness, also, is far better than any other team in the Premiership. That really is where they stand out against other sides.

"They are playing differently. It is a bit more open, they utilise the space a lot better, they don't constantly look for contact, they move the ball away. They take their options very well, each player knows what to do at the right time and that's down to coaching, largely."

Cockerill follows a long line of successful 'homegrown' Leicester coaches including Dean Richards and John Wells, and Healey says he saw the hooker's potential long before he hung up his boots.

"Cockers was always really good at coaching kids. When you are a player you get asked to go to these kids' days, and he was brilliant," said Healey.

"He went straight in and got involved. There are a few people who do that and enjoy it, and those are the kind of people who turn into good coaches.

"I don't think Cockers will say he learned anything from Deano or Wellsy. Maybe he did, I don't know, but he has certainly picked things up from people along the way and utilised them to his advantage."

Leicester reached the Heineken Cup final courtesy of a remarkable penalty shoot-out victory against Cardiff, with players taking kicks from the 22-metre line, the first time a major match has been decided by that method.

While the system has come in for widespread condemnation, Healey's only criticism of a pressure situation he would have relished as a player is that it is too easy.

"I don't know why anyone didn't backheel it over," he joked. "It was in front of the posts - just walk up and backheel it over. I thought it was brilliant, great TV.

"I think they should have made it harder, it should be 40 metres out so then there's a good chance that you'll miss. It's too easy in front of the posts. How anyone missed, I've no idea."

Leicester have won only one Premiership and no Heineken Cups since 2002; a relative trophy drought that does not sit well with those at the East Midlands club, where winning has become a way of life.

"I think it's a culture thing that is bred from the top to the bottom. They have a great culture where people know that they are playing for a good club and are expected to win," Healey said.

"They don't want to win; people in the area expect Leicester to win. And that's a pressure that makes you better."

A dose of Healey's confidence and grace under pressure could stand the Tigers in good stead as they go into the two matches that will define their season.

Austin Healey was speaking at the launch of EA SPORTS Active, a revolutionary new fitness product designed to help achieve fitness goals on the Nintendo Wii (www.easportsactive.com)

Alex Chick / Eurosport