BBC Sport assesses a potential eight-way scrap for Premiership survival as teams gear up for a nervy run-in.
They had a particularly big knock-on effect for another side wedged in amongst the bottom four - Leicester Tigers.The Tigers have never finished in the bottom half of the Premiership since the competition was created in 1987, but are third from bottom.
"Their form's been woeful. In the east Midlands derby, which I thought would be a turning point for them having all their internationals back against their bitter rivals, I thought we'd see something different and we didn't."Those are things you would associate with a team in 10th position, but you'd never think to associate it with a team like Leicester Tigers.
in December after an interim period in charge earlier this season and the former Tigers full-back admits the current plight is unlike anything from his playing days."I'm totally with the fans in that it's not pretty. This is our lives, it affects everything we do and it's tough to take.
In most Premiership seasons, six wins would probably already be enough to guarantee safety, but for Bristol Bears their fate for next season is far from certain. "You can't dwell on that, you've got to move on and there's five games to go. It's about taking the learnings and moving on to the next game."What makes the current state of the Premiership even more intriguing is the backdrop ofEnding promotion and relegation between the Premiership and Championship would remove all the jeopardy currently being felt by the eight clubs.
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