Cheika: European Competition to Aid Tigers’ ‘Top Level’ Development

Michael Cheika, who has also coached Australia and Argentina, stated that Leicester Tigers’ initial Champions Cup pool defeat by Bordeaux will contribute to their progression towards becoming a “top level team,” a status he believes they are currently “yards away” from achieving. The Tigers held a 21-14 lead at half-time in south west France; however, they ultimately succumbed after the Top 14 team scored three tries within six minutes immediately following the interval, securing a 42-28 victory. Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Cheika commented, “I thought we committed a lot of good effort in the game but we lost control of the game for a short time and it cost us.” He further elaborated on the necessity of maintaining command in top-tier competition, stating, “At the elite end when you’re playing against the best teams you’ve got to keep control of all the things you’ve planned and prepared.” He added, “They can go wrong but you can still be in control of them but when you lose control of them, then you can find yourself in trouble.” Leicester Tigers, twice European champions, managed to secure a losing bonus point by scoring four tries. Izaia Perese contributed a try, following earlier scores by Harry Wells, Josh Bassett, and debutant Come Joussain. Cheika, who assumed the role of head coach at the beginning of the current season, expressed his belief that his team had opportunities to achieve a significantly tighter score. He elaborated on the team’s performance, stating, “In the second half I felt we created some really good play but we were poor at the ruck towards the end of the game and we turned excellent opportunities that we created into opportunities for the other team, and that compounded losing control in that 10-minute period post half-time.” He also mentioned the team’s developmental efforts: “We’ve been trying to build a game since we arrived at the club this year – laying up a game based on certain foundations, and we need to keep working on it.” Leicester is also placed in pool one alongside current champions Toulouse, the South African team Sharks, fellow Premiership club Exeter, and Ireland’s Ulster. Their next fixture is scheduled for Saturday against the Sharks, who defeated Exeter 39-21 in their initial game. Cheika, who guided Leinster to the European title in 2009, asserted that the experience his squad gains throughout the remainder of the competition will invariably lead to their improvement, irrespective of outcomes. He reiterated the importance of these encounters for player development, stating, “That’s Europe and those are the experiences our players need.” He continued, “We’ve got a lot of top-end teams in our group and we need those experiences to make us better and make us into a top level team.” He concluded by saying, “We’ve got yards to go on that.”