‘Toughest days of career’ for McKellar after Bristol loss

LEICESTER Tigers head coach Dan McKellar has revealed the angry reaction to his side’s capitulation against Bristol was the “toughest few days of my career”.

Tiger’s hopes of reaching the Gallagher Premiership play-offs were ended as the Bears came from 19-0 down with 12 minutes left to snatch a 21-19 victory at Mattioli Woods Welford Road last month.

The reaction from some supporters following the defeat prompted the club to take to social media to address the abuse and threats made against players and coaches.

When asked about the angry reactions to the season-defining defeat, former ACT Brumbies head coach McKellar said: “It was the toughest few days of my career, without a doubt.”

Talking to BBC Radio Leicester, the Australian added: “Leicester Tigers sitting where we are sitting isn’t acceptable.

“You feel like you let the staff, players and fans down, so it was high emotions.”

The defeat left the 11-time Premiership champions third from bottom in the table.

McKellar, 47, is in his first season as Tigers head coach, having left his job as Australia assistant coach.

He passed up the opportunity to work at the 2023 World Cup to take the helm at Welford Road last summer.

His inaugural campaign in England will end empty-handed, with Tigers beaten in the Premiership Cup final earlier this year before going out of the European Champions Cup at the first knockout stage. But McKellar said it was the defeat by Bristol which left him with “extreme disappointment” and said that in the weeks since that loss he has addressed some of the club’s supporters.

“I caught up with the fans at a function and answered plenty of questions that they had,” he said. “I gave them an insight into where we are.”

McKellar said Tigers’ own debrief after the defeat has gone beyond what happened in the final 12 disastrous minutes against Bristol. “We need to look at our programme, look at how we have prepared the squad this year,” he said. “We are human beings, people are going to make mistakes and we have made mistakes this year, it’s as simple as that. “One thing I think I’m really good at as a coach is listening, learning and making sure we come back bigger and better, that we tidy things up in the next couple of weeks and that next season we learn from it.”

You feel like you let the staff, players and fans down, so it was high emotions

Head coach Dan McKellar,

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