Steve Borthwick - and his players - are excited to be be back home this weekend after what has been a month without a weekend fixture at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
It has been five weeks since the last home game in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and almost 20 days since the last fixture at Tigers HQ, a midweek outing in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Several of Borthwick’s players, who featured in this season’s Six Nations for England, have actually not turned out at the Tigers home since the second week of the New Year - more than three months ago.
With the final round meeting between Tigers and Bordeaux Bègles in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup Pool Stages cancelled, following a covid outbreak within the French club, Borthwick, his players and Leicester supporters have also not enjoyed a European home game in more than 100 days.
Speaking about the return, Borthwick said: “We are looking forward to being back at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, back at home with all of our supporters.”
“It has been more than a month since a game at home for most of these players, who have the privilege of representing the club this weekend, and we are looking forward to being back.
“The support we have experienced all season, at home and on the road, has been exceptional. We are so grateful to all of the fans for their commitment and hope as many as possible are there on Saturday at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.”
Leicester have a 19-point advantage ahead of the 2nd Leg, following a 29-10 victory in Clermont last weekend, but it is not something which has been discussed within the Tigers ranks according to the man in charge.
“The focus is on this weekend, not anything we have done before in this competition,” he said.
“It is a new week, a new game and our objective - like every time we represent Leicester Tigers - is to play tough and deliver a performance our supporters can be proud of at full time.
“We have not changed the way we have approached every game, every week, this season; we look at the next game in front of us, that next challenge and work hard during the week to be better than we were the week before.”
Looking at the visiting side, Borthwick said the ‘class’ was on show for all to see - on and off the pitch.
“Clermont are a dangerous team, as we saw last weekend in France,” said the Tigers Head Coach.
“You can see the class, experience and power they possess in their squad and we know that they will be coming to Leicester with a strong game plan.
“Jono Gibbes is a brilliant coach, who knows what it takes to be successful - especially in the Heineken Champions Cup.”
See the Team News for Saturday's fixture HERE.
