Everyone has been a bit grumpy and tetchy at training this week. When they are more miserable than me, you know you have got them in the right place.
It is nothing unusual for players to be skulking about in the week leading up to a derby with Northampton.
And when there is a place in the Aviva Premiership final up for grabs, there is more focus than any other week.
There are few people laughing or joking about. Even the ones who you expect that sort of stuff from are quieter.
Everything is tuned in to trying to win tonight's game. The players and the club want it so badly – and I am sure Saints feel the same.
For me, there will be a little bit more pressure on Saints. They are at home and few teams have lost with that advantage in past semi-finals.
We are also the only team to have won there in the league this season.
The bookies have also made them favourites. That's fine with me, though I'm not sure I agree with it. We will also put pressure on ourselves though.
We have worked very hard during the past 22 rounds to get to the semi-finals.
It has not been the easiest of seasons with our injury problems, but we have hung in there and dealt with it well to get to still have a chance of retaining our title.
I know what this game will mean to the players as well.
Guys like the Youngs brothers, Matt Smith, Louis Deacon, Manu Tuilagi, Dan Cole, Tom Croft and the like all know how much this game means to the club and fans.
Not just because it is a semi-final – but because it is Northampton.
They have been brought up around this club, their brothers and dads have played for this club and they understand the relationship between Leicester and Northampton.
I came here as a 20-year-old and there was Dean Richards and Ian 'Dosser' Smith telling me how important it was to win these matches.
Then you go out and play in one and you realise for yourself what it means.
It gets bred into you and, in turn, you pass that on to other new and young players.
That's just how it is and that is how it should be. That is what rivalries are all about.
You know what it means to your next-door neighbour, the supporter down the road or the supporters in the stands.
We are all looking forward to it. These games are always exciting and there is nearly always some talking point to come out of it. It would be boring if there wasn't.
