Brett Deacon previews the Premiership Rugby Cup fixture away to Saracens in Round 4 of the 2022/23 season.
Speaking at the club’s Oval Park training ground in the build-up to Saturday’s trip south, the Leicester Tigers Assistant Coach said: “You can see with Saracens, in all competitions so far this season, there is a slight difference in their model of how they play.”
“They have opened up a bit, especially coming out of their half and you would expect the same on Saturday.
“We will prepare as best we can and be ready to play, whether they choose to kick or run - they are a quality side, with incredible depth, whatever team they select.”
Following a narrow defeat in the opening round of the Cup campaign, away to Sale, the young Tigers outfit who have competed in this season’s competition recorded a bonus-point win over Wasps at home before a one-point loss to Newcastle in Round 3.
Deacon, who has taken charge of all three games, has welcomed a handful of loan players from Nottingham while trying to keep a core of youngsters together in this season’s Cup.
Fourteen players have featured in all three matchday squads, with the average age across the trio of fixtures just 21 and average appearances just shy of 8 per player.
Ten players have made their senior club debuts, compared to twenty-one last season, of which Deacon says has been a goal.
“It is brilliant this year, we have used a lot of our own players in this competition,” he said.
“Last year we had to bring people in, we had brilliant help from Loughborough and Nottingham, and I cannot credit them enough for how much support they have given us in this competition.
“But to get that cohesion with that younger group of players is really important us.”
Discussing the balance of result over performance, he added: “The players have big aspirations, they want to win every time they play.”
“We do not take that away from them but, the biggest thing is our performance and we are looking forward to seeing a positive performance from this young group at Saracens on Saturday.”
