George Worth says the Leicester Tigers players have to “step up” during key fixtures in the Gallagher Premiership during the international period of the season.

Five Tigers players are on Six Nations action this weekend with England, while Dan Cole, Jake Kerr and Jonah Holmes have also played in the tournament already this season. But Worth, who starts at full-back against Worcester Warriors on Sunday, says the rest of the squad need to perform in their absence.

“You’ve got to have a deep squad when it comes to this time of the season, so everyone has to step up and take responsibility of their performances,” he said.

“One of the things we talk about is accountability and everyone has to be accountable for performing well.”

With Tigers starting the weekend ninth in the table, seven points off the top-four places, Worth also expressed how important this period is in deciding where the club finishes this season.

“Everyone knows this is always an important time of the season,” he said.

“This is the time when teams go either way, so we feel a responsibility as a squad to make it right and put us in the best position for when the internationals come back.”

Worth, who made the decisive break for the Jonah Holmes try at Saracens last weekend and has been nominated for the Lumbers Player of the Month award, said that while the squad have been making adjustments to the game-plan against Warriors, but insists Tigers must concentrate on getting the basics right first.

“They have a different style of play to Saracens),” he said. “So there will be a few things we’ll change, but all-in-all we want to make our tackles, we want to run hard in attack, and we want to get in good shape and score tries.”