Marcos Ayerza says Leicester Tigers are in the right frame of mind to claim a second Champions Cup win this weekend.
Tigers opened their account with a 25-18 victory over Ulster last weekend and, while that has given everybody at the club a significant lift, Leicester prop Ayerza knows that the challenge is going to be every bit as big at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.
The Welsh side will be looking to pick up their first win after losing in France to Toulon last Sunday.
Despite that defeat, though, Scarlets gave a good account of themselves and will be relishing the visit of Tigers.
Ayerza, who has just returned to the Leicester line-up after featuring for Argentina in the Rugby Championship, is in line to make his 50th European appearance for Leicester, which would make him only the 11th Tiger to achieve that feat.
With the depth of experience he has picked up in that time, he knows what to expect in south Wales – and how Tigers must combat it.
"Scarlets have been a great side over the years," said the 31-year-old. "They are one of the big regions in Wales and have some very important names in their squad.
"They showed what sort of side they are when they played Toulon on Sunday and went close to causing a big shock.
"Scarlets are a team to respect. They are at home and will raise their game. We are looking at a tough battle up front and in every aspect of the game. We have to be sharp.
"Confidence is high but we still know that we have a long way to go before we are where we want to be playing and intensity-wise."
Intensity was a word used across the board after Ulster had been repelled at Welford Road, and Tigers know that they have to reach those heights consistently, if they are to make an impact on European competition.
"We are in the right frame of mind, and having the last two wins is a big confidence boost and a psychological boost for the team and the club as a whole," said Ayerza.
"If we carry on doing that we will still have many more games to come, but we have to keep those wins coming."
