Pool placing

Leicester lost only one match in their debut Challenge Cup pool campaign as they topped Pool 5 by four points from Pau, but that 24-17 defeat at Pau didn’t matter, as it came in Round 6. They sealed the No.4 seeding and a home quarter-final ahead of opponents Castres Olympique their due to their superior points difference (86-56).

Lockdown news

Geordan Murphy is now director of rugby at Welford Road following the arrival of Steve Borthwick as head coach. There have also been big changes to the playing squad, with Argentina back Matias Moroni, Fiji internationals Kini Murimurivalu and Nemani Nadolo among numerous additions, while England centres Manu Tuilagi and Kyle Eastmond, plus Tonga back-rower Sione Kalamafoni and full-back Telusa Veainu are among the departures.

Quarter-final record

This is Leicester’s first season in the Challenge Cup, but they have plenty of experience of knockout rugby in the European Cup, having won the trophy twice – in 2001 and 2002 – as well as reaching five other semi-finals (1996/7, 2004/5, 2006/7, 2008/9 and 2015/6).

European history

Leicester were the first two-time winners of the European Cup, but their most recent continental triumph was 18 years ago. Although they have reached two finals since, the last of those was in 2009, so they will be keen to end that long barren run in European competition.

With the European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-finals just around the corner, we have taken an in-depth look at all eight sides who will be competing for a spot in the final in October and today the focus is on Leicester Tigers.