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If polls are anything to go by, there isn’t a great deal of local confidence in Leicester Tigers’ chances of surviving the upcoming Gallagher Premiership Season.
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Despite boasting a star-studded team, belief on the ground in Leicestershire seems to be waning after another difficult week for the club. England winger Rory Underwood stood down from the board last Thursday evening. Less than 24 hours later the club revealed that it had parted company with ‘immediate effect’ with long-serving club hero Geordan Murphy.
Murphy’s departure has been described as mutual but the suddenness of the Director of Rugby’s exit at Welford Road has left a sour taste in the mouth of supporters and some former players.
Former Tigers utility back Austin Healey said over the weekend that the club has ‘cast’ Murphy aside. “Another legend who gave so much to Tigers only for the club to cast him aside without the planned exit he deserved. Our club now in the hands of Borthwick… going to be a long season.”
Now a poll undertaken by LeicestershireLive.com has suggested that the lack of faith in Borthwick is shared among its readers. 41 per cent of website visiters polled have said they believe Leicester Tigers are most likely to get relegated when the new season resumes.
Second in the poll are Newcastle Falcons, with 25 per cent on the vote, while London Irish get 19 per cent and Worcester Warriors nine.
Tigers finished 11th in the 2019/2020 season, one spot above Saracens who had been docked 105 points, and who would have finished in the top four had it not been for the reduction.
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How genuine a reflection of public perception an online poll can be is hard to judge. Two per cent of respondents in this poll voted that reigning Champions Exeter Chiefs would face the chop this season, which you’d have to imagine is highly unlikely.
