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Leicester have completed a dramatic, high-speed regime change by hiring former Argentina and Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, in place of his ousted fellow Australian, Dan McKellar.
Just days after the Tigers announced that McKellar was departing, having been in charge for just one, disastrous season – by ‘mutual consent’, as is always the official wording these days – they have confirmed the appointment of his high-profile compatriot.
Cheika is one of the best-known coaches in world rugby, who guided the Pumas to a fourth-place finish in last year’s World Cup and took Australia to the 2015 final, following a stunning, accelerated salvage operation.
In theory, it is a remarkable coup for Leicester, but time will tell whether recruiting another foreign figurehead is the right move, for a club with its own strong culture and traditions, in a league where overseas coaches have often struggled, whatever their reputation on arrival.
Incidentally, McKellar was highly rated Down Under when the Tigers lured him north and it is understood that he is still regarded as a future Wallabies head coach, despite his ordeal in the East Midlands.
Aussie Michael Cheika, 57, has been appointed as the new head coach of Leicester Tigers
Despite possessing a formidable squad, Leicester finished eighth in the Premiership and all too often, they appeared unsure of how they were supposed to be playing. Rumours became rife that players had grave doubts about the way McKellar was going about his grand project at Welford Road.
Yet, there were almost 23,000 fans there on the last day of the season, as the Tigers beat play-off contenders Exeter handsomely, to give a belated glimpse of their enduring potential and class.
That will be what Cheika has seen in them, while recognising that, in many ways, Leicester remain the biggest club in the country – even if they don’t have the recent entries on the honours board to prove it.
‘Honestly, I wasn’t looking at the Premiership and didn’t have the desire to coach in it until Leicester Tigers came to me,’ he said. ‘But, the opportunity to coach at Tigers and lead this group of players turned my head.
‘Everybody can see that it is a top-quality roster (squad) the club has. But the roster is only paper. It’s now about how the team gels, how to put these really good players and characters together and get them playing in a way that they love it and a way they love going out there, together, and representing Leicester Tigers.’
Former Leicester boss Dan McKellar, 47, left Welford Road by mutual consent last week
Leicester’s chief executive, Andrea Pinchen, expressed delight at securing the services of a marquee figure, who previously won a European Cup with Leinster in 2009.
‘We are very pleased to be able to appoint someone of Michael’s experience and history with success,’ she said. ‘He has achieved great success in winning trophies but also developing players, developing coaches and galvanising groups to be the best they can be.
‘We want that, we need that and believe Michael is the right person to take this team, this club back to where we know we should be. I also accept that the past week is not what fans expected, nor did we, but the decisions we have made are for the long-term benefit of Leicester Tigers.’
The club have been through a sustained period of upheaval since the end of Richard Cockerill’s long spell in charge, in 2017.
Steve Borthwick oversaw such an effective revamp that the Tigers won the title in 2022, but he was soon taken away by England, who also swooped to recruit Kevin Sinfield, Richard Wigglesworth and Aled Walters.
Cheika has previously coached Australia, Argentina, Leinster, Stade Francais and the Waratahs
No wonder a fresh start was required, after the loss of so much management expertise and pedigree.
The Leicester hierarchy were convinced that McKellar was the right man to preside over a new era of success and it didn’t work out. Now they have backed a big name to take them back to the heights – and it really has to work this time.
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