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'I told the truth': Michael Cheika half-time spray behind Leicester fight-back
By PA
Leicester head coach Michael Cheika revealed a half-time rocket helped his side edge an eight-try thriller against Gloucester.
The visitors, playing some high-quality and enterprising rugby, built a 19-8 interval lead with Max Llewellyn, likely to be included in the Wales squad for their autumn internationals, scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Freddie Thomas got the other, with Santi Carreras adding three conversions as their attacking flair rattled Tigers.
However, it was a totally different story after the interval as the home pack took control to clock up four tries from Josh Bassett, Dan Kelly, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Handre Pollard, who also kicked a penalty and three conversions for a match tally of 14 points.
After seeing his side claim the Ed Slater Cup, Cheika said: “I told the truth at half-time as we seemed to have the idea that victory would be handed to us and it just doesn’t happen that way.
“Gloucester are a fine side and if you stand off them and let them play they’ll hurt you, and that’s what we did.
“We showed a lot more physicality in the second half and tackled aggressively so Handre (Pollard) was able to have a platform to show what he could do by having a greater share of possession.
“However, we should have kicked on when we went 10 points clear but credit to Gloucester for hanging on in there and preventing us from doing so.”
Gloucester head coach George Skivington was frustrated that his side had secured just two points.
“Before the season started we’d have probably taken two points but I feel this was an opportunity missed not to have taken more,” he said.
“Our attack was really good but we still left three or four tries out there and individual errors at crucial times cost us.
“Tigers came out firing in the second half but in that first 10-minute period our mistakes put them in a position where they could really make it count.
“Our line-out was poor last week and we lost a few today, but I’m still frustrated with only two points as I believe we were better than that.”
Skivington also praised hat-trick hero Llewellyn ahead of tomorrow’s Wales squad being announced.
He said: “I’m unbelievably happy at how he’s developed in the past 12 months and all I can say is that Wales must have some strong stock if they don’t find room to pick him.”
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Latest Comments
they are necessary
Go to commentsIn a Marvel superhero world, it's tempting to follow the "one man can save the world/code" narrative.
But trying to graft a champion pear tree onto an apple tree and expecting a massive harvest may not necessarily bear fruit .
My suggestion- instead, refertilise and invigorate the roots of the apple tree, turning green shoots and young branches into a stronger apple tree.
How?
Create a number of rugby scholarships, say 50 of $10,000 each for promising young rugby players.
This would be used to cover the expenses of playing overseas in the French, English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, NZ or South African premierships after next year's Lion's tour, or for time off work for high performance placements or special skills training.
The British and Irish Lions tour will see RA with available cash, and rather than invest in just a few players like Nathan Cleary, I suggest we develop our current Super Rugby, Australian U 20s, U 19s players where we have seen very promising results.
I would also suggest targeting established combinations, such as Teddy Wilson and Jack Bowen, who played together at U 20s, Easts Shute Shield and are in the Waratahs squad, to be playing at the same club and look to build future Gregan/ Markham combos.
The Wallabies need also to increase their front row depth and quality as Taniella Tupou body has it's own issues.
As we've seen on Dave Rennie's last Spring Tour, and in the recent Rugby Championship game against South Africa, without a highly functioning scrum, a team is pushing it uphill.
And where better for props and forwards to refine their craft than the Northern Hemisphere or South Africa.
Will Skelton, the Arnold brothers, Scott Sio, Angus Scott Young, and Lukhan are someexamples of forwards who have stepped up and thrived O/S.
Cricketers do it(Mike Hussey), actors do it(Guy Pearce, Mel Gibson, the Hemsworths, Margo Robbie etc), why not rugby players.
Travel broadens the mind, you leave your past identity behind, and start life with a blank slate. And get exposure to new players, coaches and systems that advance maturity.
And if the BIL beat us convincingly, a stint O/S would be a great thing to wipe the mental slate clean.
Having said that, Joseph Sualli has got rugby back into the headlines, so we'll take that, but some good on field wins and signs of further growth such as Joe Scmidt has producedwill certainly aid our rugby game.
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