Louis Deacon
Encyclopedia
Louis Deacon is an English
rugby union
footballer. He is a lock.
His playing career started as an eight year old, playing with Wigston, before joining Syston. He later joined Syston and as a Ratcliffe College
student represented the Midlands county and both the England 16 Group and U18 Group School sides. He joined the Leicester Tigers
Academy in the 1997–98 season and worked his way through the Tigers Youth, U21 and Extras teams.
Deacon joined Leicester Tigers
in 2000. He made his first team debut in August 2000 as a replacement against Cardiff
and has established himself as a highly dependable player and equally at home at the front or middle of the line out. In the absence of club captain Geordan Murphy
through injury, he has captained for spells in the 2009–10 season.
He was called up to the England A
squad in the 2002–03 season but injury forced him to withdraw.
Having lived in the shadow of the England pairing of Martin Johnson and Ben Kay
for several seasons, he took the opportunity in 2003–04 to command a regular place during the World Cup
. He made 23 appearances in all that season, and by the end he was being picked ahead of Kay
.
In September 2003 he was named in the England National Academy Training squad. He was called up to the elite squad for the 2005–6 season and went on to make his international debut against Samoa
.
He was again named in the elite squad, in the 2006–07 season. For the 2007 Six Nations opener against Scotland
, Deacon started at Lock under new head coach Brian Ashton.
He continued in this position, throughout the first three games of the tournament, and came off the bench against France
and Wales
in the final two games of the tournament.
Deacon would have to wait a further two years before winning another cap, playing in the two test series against Argentina
. He made it into the EPS Elite squad for 2009–10, and partnered captain Steve Borthwick
during the Autumn Internationals. He then went onto play in every RBS 6 Nations Championship match last season, as he had done three years earlier, which not only illustrated the skill, but the resolution of Deacon, who went on to miss the summer tour of Australasia and the Investec Internationals through a back injury, which was a similar injury to when he underwent surgery on a prolapsed disc in June 2008 that ruled him out of the Investec Challenge Series and the subsequent RBS 6 Nations Championship.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He is a lock.
His playing career started as an eight year old, playing with Wigston, before joining Syston. He later joined Syston and as a Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College is an independent Catholic boarding and day school in Leicestershire, England. The College, situated in of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the...
student represented the Midlands county and both the England 16 Group and U18 Group School sides. He joined the Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
Academy in the 1997–98 season and worked his way through the Tigers Youth, U21 and Extras teams.
Deacon joined Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in 2000. He made his first team debut in August 2000 as a replacement against Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and has established himself as a highly dependable player and equally at home at the front or middle of the line out. In the absence of club captain Geordan Murphy
Geordan Murphy
Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy is an Irish rugby union rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers and Ireland....
through injury, he has captained for spells in the 2009–10 season.
He was called up to the England A
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
squad in the 2002–03 season but injury forced him to withdraw.
Having lived in the shadow of the England pairing of Martin Johnson and Ben Kay
Ben Kay
Benedict James Kay MBE is a retired English international rugby union footballer who played Second row forward for Leicester Tigers and .-Background:...
for several seasons, he took the opportunity in 2003–04 to command a regular place during the World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. He made 23 appearances in all that season, and by the end he was being picked ahead of Kay
Ben Kay
Benedict James Kay MBE is a retired English international rugby union footballer who played Second row forward for Leicester Tigers and .-Background:...
.
In September 2003 he was named in the England National Academy Training squad. He was called up to the elite squad for the 2005–6 season and went on to make his international debut against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
.
He was again named in the elite squad, in the 2006–07 season. For the 2007 Six Nations opener against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, Deacon started at Lock under new head coach Brian Ashton.
He continued in this position, throughout the first three games of the tournament, and came off the bench against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in the final two games of the tournament.
Deacon would have to wait a further two years before winning another cap, playing in the two test series against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
. He made it into the EPS Elite squad for 2009–10, and partnered captain Steve Borthwick
Steve Borthwick
Stephen William "Steve" Borthwick is an English rugby union footballer who plays lock for Saracens F.C....
during the Autumn Internationals. He then went onto play in every RBS 6 Nations Championship match last season, as he had done three years earlier, which not only illustrated the skill, but the resolution of Deacon, who went on to miss the summer tour of Australasia and the Investec Internationals through a back injury, which was a similar injury to when he underwent surgery on a prolapsed disc in June 2008 that ruled him out of the Investec Challenge Series and the subsequent RBS 6 Nations Championship.