Europe will help Tigers become 'top level'- Cheika

Michael Cheika has also coached Australia and Argentina

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika says their opening Champions Cup pool defeat by Bordeaux will help them in their journey to becoming a "top level team" adding they are "yards away" at the moment.

Tigers led 21-14 in south west France at half-time but were ultimately undone by three tries in six minutes just after the break as the Top 14 side went on to clinch a 42-28 victory.

"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," Cheika told BBC Radio Leicester.

"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.

"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."

Tigers, twice European champions, did at least pick up a losing bonus point after scoring four tries with Izaia Perese adding to earlier scores from Harry Wells, Josh Bassett and debutant Come Joussain.

But Cheika, appointed head coach at the start of the season, felt his side had the chances to make the score line much closer.

"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.

"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 are also in pool one with with defending champions Toulouse, South African side Sharks, fellow Premiership side Exeter and Ireland's Ulster.

They face Sharks, who beat Exeter 39-21 in their opening match, in their next on Saturday.

Cheika, who took Leinster to the European title in 2009, says whatever happens in the rest of the competition, the experience his side will get can only improve them.

"That's Europe and those are the experiences our players need," he said.

"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.

"We've got yards to go on that."