European Rugby Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers 11-34 Racing 92

Racing 92 full-back Simon Zebo has made 35 appearances for Ireland

Leicester's hopes of reaching the Champions Cup knockout stages are all but over after defeat by Racing 92 at Welford Road.

The French side remain unbeaten at the top of Pool Four after a bonus-point win through tries from Teddy Iribaren, Juan Imhoff and Virimi Vakatawa.

Full-back George Worth crossed for the Tigers, who are third in the pool.

Leicester are eight points behind second-placed Ulster with two pool games left to play.

• European Champions Cup standings

Leicester's leaky defence

Leicester have lost eight successive games in all competitions for the first time since 1975 and the Tigers' defensive problems were plain to see against Racing.

Iribaren found a gap to dive over from short range for the French side's first try.

Then former Ireland utility back Simon Zebo found it all too easy to cut through and send Imhoff over.

When Scotland fly-half Finn Russell faked a pass left, he was able to step through Leicester tackles - a move that led to Vakatawa's try.

Dan Cole made life even harder for the Leicester defence when he was sin-binned for dangerous play, although the hosts actually managed to hold firm while he was off the field.

It seemed as though Racing would have to make do without a bonus point until Imhoff scored again in the dying seconds.

The result puts Racing five points clear of Ulster at the top of the pool.

What they said

Leicester interim head coach Geordan Murphy said:

"It was effectively like going into a prize fight, standing in the middle of the ring and keeping your hands by your side.

"Against Racing's quality you can't afford to let yourself get punched in the face because it knocked us out."

Teams

Leicester: Worth; Thompstone, Tuilagi, Toomua, May; Ford (c), White; Genge, Polota-Nau, Cole, Spencer, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O'Connor, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Youngs for White (53), Kerr for Polota-Nau (53), Wells for Kitchener (55), Thompson for O'Connor (58), Cortes for Thompstone (64), Williams for Kalamafoni (69), Thompstone for Cortes (70), Owen for Tuilagi (72), Gigena for Genge (75), Cortes for Cole (79)

Sin-bin: Cole (60)

Racing 92: Zebo; Dupichot, Vakatawa, Chavancy (c), Imhoff; Russell, Iribaren; Gogichashvili, Avei, Tameifuna, Ryan, Nakarawa, Chouzenoux, Le Roux, Claassen.

Replacements: Kakovin for Gogichashvili (50), Gomes Sa for Tameifuna (58), Klemenczak for Vakatawa (60), Machenaud for Iribaren (66), Sanconnie for Claassen (66), Volavola for Zebo (67) Szarzewski for Avei (69), Bird for Nakarawa (72)

Ref: George Clancy (Ire)

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