Leicester Tigers lock Louis Deacon is a man prepared; experienced when it comes to the big occasions.

A veteran of 29 caps representing England, Deacon is one of many players that Tigers have benefitted from having back at Welford Road, following his part in the World Cup in New Zealand. It is those kinds of big-game experiences, which are possessed by many players at Leicester, which will help the side this weekend.

On Saturday, Tigers welcome big-spenders Clermont to Welford Road in Pool 4 of the Heineken Cup, needing a win against the French side to keep their interests in the competition this season alive.

In Clermont, a club that signed many seasoned internationals over the course of the summer, Tigers take on the same side they came up against last weekend. Despite suffering defeat, Tigers’ director of rugby Richard Cockerill took many positives from his team’s performance – and Deacon displays the confidence of a man who knows what is possible in the return fixture in front of a home crowd.

“Up front, we played well,” he told Soar Magazine.

“In set-pieces and the scrum, we dominated and that is what we will be looking to do again this weekend. Overall, we will be looking to take the opportunities that were there but that we failed to take last weekend.

Despite playing the Top 14 side just six days prior to Saturday’s return meeting, Deacon confesses that facing the side taught them few things more than the Tigers already knew – but also admits that it emphasised how alert the team needs to be against the French outfit.

“We always knew that Clermont would be a tough, physical team – so there was no surprise there. I think the one thing we need to focus on is not making too many mistakes. If you make a mistake against these guys, you will get punished. Every time we made one last weekend, that was the case.

As always, Deacon – Leicester born-and-bred – acknowledges the importance that the Welford Road crowd can play this weekend, having been on both sides of the fence in Heineken Cup encounters on the Tigers’ home turf.

“The crowd over there (Clermont) was amazing and pretty hostile,” says the 31-year-old, who has made over 200 appearances for Tigers.

“Welford Road can be like that too. Our support is amazing and, with it being such a huge game for us, they will be behind us as they always are.”

Part of the Tigers squad for six Premiership-winning campaigns and a veteran of two Heineken Cup final victories, Deacon has experienced many highs with his hometown club – and is still as passionate about the Heineken Cup as he ever has been and feels that the fact that Tigers have been in similar positions before will work in the home side’s favour.

“It’s all about having the ability to test yourself against some of the best players around,” he says.

“Clermont’s squad is pretty amazing and they have strength everywhere. It’s a big test for everybody, but with us being at home, there is a lot of confidence going into this one.”

For more information on Leicester Tigers, visit www.leicestertigers.com