Physically, mentally, defence and attack – we have to be better

SIDE HAS A POINT TO PROVE AGAINST SARACENS, SAYS EW VILJOEN

LEICESTER Tigers have to change their mindset for Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership visit of Saracens.

That’s the view of centre EW Viljoen, who made his Tigers debut in the 24-16 defeat at Worcester Warriors last weekend.

After a lacklustre team performance, the South African says Leicester will run out in front of their own fans with something to prove.

It isn’t that they have to make wholesale changes to the way they approach the game – but the mental aspect of their play has to be better, as does their physicality, he says.

“We need to be more consistent,” Viljoen said. “Last week we thought we were inconsistent.

“We need to pick up our physicality. In defence and attack we need to improve that from last week. I think that was our Achilles heel at the end of the day.

“This weekend we aren’t going to change anything. We are going in with the same plans with a few different tactics.

“But we need to pitch up as a team. If we go with the same mindset as we did last week we aren’t going to be proud of ourselves and that’s not what we stand for.

“It is our first game at home so we want to prove something.”

Viljoen missed the Premiership Cup pool games with a finger injury, so he is relishing the opportunity of making his home debut in front of the Leicester supporters.

He is also looking forward to playing on natural grass again, rather than the Warriors’ artificial surface.

“I’m not used to playing on 4G turf. We did train on it once, twice a year back at home,” Viljoen said.

“It is very nice to play on, fast and bouncy for running rugby. It just leaves you a bit sore when you are falling on it all the time.”

Despite having his first run out since arriving at Tigers in the summer, Viljoen’s own fitness held up well at Sixways.

“The game was very stop and go,” he said. “It wasn’t high speed. There was a lot of kicking involved and we didn’t get into our shapes or get through a number of phases.

“My fitness was good but to be honest I don’t think it was tested.

“Hopefully, this weekend we can throw the ball around, go through some phases and get the lungs burning.”