Geordan Murphy took ‘no pleasure’ in telling Leicester Tigers players of Matt O’Connor’s sacking despite ‘dream job’
O’Connor was dismissed after just one match in charge with Murphy installed as the new interim head coach
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Your support makes all the difference.Geordan Murphy has admitted that he took “no pleasure” in telling the Leicester Tigers squad that head coach Matt O’Connor had been sacked after just one match this season.
Leicester have got their season off to the worst possible start, losing Saturday’s Premiership opener to Exeter Chiefs 40-6 before sacking O’Connor on Monday evening after just 17 months in charge at Welford Road, with Murphy taken charge on an interim bases alongside fellow coaches Mark Bakewell, Boris Stankovich and Brett Deacon.
The decision continues the club’s recent revolving door policy, as since Richard Cockerill’s eight-year reign came to an end in January 2017, Tigers have seen Aaron Mauger take temporary charge for 12 matches before O’Connor’s ill-fated spell in charge.
O’Connor’s sudden exit has triggered plenty of criticism for the Leicester board to cope with as fans have questioned why the change wasn’t made during the summer if they were only willing to give the Australian coach one match to prove he can turn around their form.
Having been part of the Leicester Tigers family for 21 years – first as a player from 1997 to 2013 and subsequently in his role as assistant coach – 40-year-old Murphy has seen plenty of change at the club, but admitted Monday’s decision was still just as hard to take even if it opened the door to his “dream job”.
Murphy said: "I think a lot of people will be surprised about the timing of it, it's very early in the season.
"It's not nice, unfortunately it's happened a few times in the last few years at Tigers and some of the players are getting used to it."
"It gave me no pleasure to inform the players of the situation. It's on all of our heads we're all responsible for it.
"But our responsibility to Matt and to the club is that we go forward and start performing."
Leicester have not put a timescale on Murphy’s time in charge, though there is the belief that if he manages to guide them to a strong run of form, the former Ireland international will be given the role permanently that will certainly help smooth over relations with the Tigers faithful.
Speaking to BBC Five Live, Murphy did admit that he “would be crazy to say no” to any permanent offer, but refused to get ahead of himself and instead stressed the importance of focussing on this weekend’s visit of Newcastle Falcons.
"It was a bit of a shock but I didn't have too much time to dwell on it. The board asked me to do the role for the next few weeks and I have taken it,” Murphy added.
"The club have said that they'll give me every support in order to make this team successful.
"It's very much a short term appointment at the moment and it's really about trying to get the team performing at the weekend.”
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