English rugby heavyweights Leicester are reeling from their worst results sequence for more than 40 years.
Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup defeat against French side Racing 92 was their eighth in succession, leaving them struggling on European and domestic fronts.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at the Tigers’ plight.
Just how bad has it been?
? See what Geordie had to say when the Head Coach spoke to LTTV following today’s #ChampionsCup action at Welford Road.
Watch his full post-match chat here ? https://t.co/uHS60Aus7V pic.twitter.com/vPtBx4qlu4
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) December 16, 2018
Terrible. Tigers’ interim boss Geordan Murphy feels that Leicester have sunk to their lowest point in his two decades at the club as a player and coach. The statistics paint a bleak picture. Leicester have not won since defeating Champions Cup opponents the Scarlets on October 19, losing eight games on the bounce in three different competitions. Overall this term, their record shows just four victories from 16 starts, and in nine matches they have conceded more than 30 points.
What have been the underlying problems?
Does Murphy need help – and will he get it?
Leicester are effectively out of Europe – what about the Gallagher Premiership?
Playing some sumptuous rugby over the last two weeks, @racing92 are sitting pretty at the top of Pool 4 ?@UlsterRugby continue to impress, can @LeicesterTigers pull something out of the bag? #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/OwFp8zu8jf
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 16, 2018
The Tigers have little chance of progressing from their Champions Cup group, and they are looking at a pool stage exit for the third successive season. It is all a far cry from Leicester’s back-to-back European triumphs in 2001 and 2002, while they were also beaten finalists on three other occasions. The Premiership, though, is an equally testing state of affairs, with the record eight-time league champions just three points and four places off the bottom. Only four points currently separate the clubs in fifth and 12th places, and Leicester are well and truly in that mix. Are they too good to go down? No.
Where will it all end?
