- Cheika’s Leicester Tigers reign acquired off to a successful begin within the Premiership
- Leicester beat Exeter 17-14 because of a last-minute attempt from Tommy Reffell
- The Tigers went right down to 14 males with slightly below ten minutes remaining
Eight years in the past, Michael Cheika and Ange Postecoglou had been sat on the couch of a broadcast studio in Sydney discussing their ambitions to teach in England.
That they had lots in frequent, not least as a result of they had been each teaching Australia’s nationwide groups in rugby and soccer. Blended heritage, straight-shooters with a bent to dive head-first in the direction of bother.
Postecoglou burst on to the scene at Tottenham final 12 months, selecting up 26 from 30 factors in his opening 10 matches within the Premier League. Cheika has arrived 12 months later and his first day on the job was predictably dramatic.
There was a crimson card, a few expletives from the teaching field and a last-minute twist. Exeter dominated nearly each attacking statistic: metres gained, carries, clear breaks, defenders overwhelmed, passes, offloads. But there isn’t any metric for the self-belief that underlined Leicester’s surge of energy within the 83rd minute to grab victory within the last play.
‘We acquired a number of unfortunate penalties however we didn’t panic — even me!’ mentioned Cheika, a notoriously sharp critic of refereeing choices. ‘I didn’t say an excessive amount of. I stood up one time, considered having a go after which sat again down. It was, OK, we acquired a nasty name right here — let’s simply experience by means of it.’
Michael Cheika realised his ambitions of teaching in England by taking on at Leicester Tigers
Cheika and Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou harboured related aspirations of abroad work
Leicester beat Exeter in a extremely dramatic Premiership season opener at Sandy Park
Cheika is rugby’s globe-trotter. But right here he was in pig-trotter nation, dealing with off towards an opposition coach who lives on the household farm. Skipper Ollie Chessum mentioned he has introduced an ‘aura’ into coaching, giving the gamers a way of reassurance. There have been shouts of ‘Play!’ from the teaching field when Solomone Kata steamrolled excessive of Ethan Roots.
New recruit Izaia Perese was on the coronary heart of the motion. The Wallaby was like a stick of dynamite within the midfield — imposing collateral injury on his personal facet in addition to the opposition. With the highly effective ball-carrying of Jasper Wiese not of their armoury, Perese was the staff’s major strike runner. Their grasp of chaos, that includes the total vary of jackals and kicks out on the total.
He gathered the free ball when Hodge’s penalty rebounded off the submit however misplaced possession by means of a wild offload as he charged out of his 22. ‘Simply run f***ing arduous!’ shouted Cheika in frustration. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso made yards in assault however flanker Ross Vintcent made essentially the most incisive play of the primary half, working a pointy line to get deep into Tigers territory. Perese was sin-binned for stopping a tap-and-go and the guests scrambled desperately to carry up Scott Sio in need of their line.
Cheika embraced flanker Olly Cracknell, who was on the coronary heart of the defensive grit that stored the likes of Josh Hodge and Feyi-Waboso at bay. ‘The hassle from Olly Crackell; I don’t know if anybody is aware of, his father handed away in the course of the week,’ mentioned Cheika.
‘We really feel for him. I left him all week and he referred to as me up and mentioned that his household wished him to play, that that’s what his dad would have wished. That sort of efficiency, beneath that pressure is incredible.’
The Chiefs had been harmful but Jamie Shillcock kicked a drop-goal on the stroke of half-time to provide Leicester an unlikely 3-0 lead. Exeter fought again by means of tries from Greg Fisilau and Tom Cairns.
Leicester’s perception shone by means of within the last quarter. ‘We regarded so callow and inexperienced within the final 20 minutes,’ mentioned Baxter. ‘It appeared like we had been inviting Leicester again into the sport.’
Leicester coach Cheika celebrates with Harry Wells after their win over Exeter
Leicester scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet evades a deal with towards Exeter
Hanro Liebenberg scored Leicester’s first attempt of the Premiership season towards Exeter
Hanro Liebenberg scored from a driving lineout and Leicester rallied after Kata was despatched off for a head-on-head collision with Jack Yeandle. Cheika shook his head.
Freddie Steward was on the tip of a excessive deal with and Cheika took maintain of his microphone to verify the referee knew about it. A penalty and yellow card adopted and Ben Volavola kicked to the nook for the ultimate play.
Leicester claimed the lineout, edging ahead inch by inch, and Tommy Reffell emerged from the underside of a pile of our bodies with a attempt to clinch the primary victory of the Cheika period.
