Cheika desire 'burns bright' despite impending exit

Michael Cheika returned to club rugby for the first time in a decade when he took the Leicester job

Michael Cheika says his decision to leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season will not act as extra fuel to fire his desire for success with the Premiership club - but admits it will make him work harder for it.

The 58-year-old Australian head coach decided in January not to extend his stay with the East Midlands club beyond the one-year contract he signed last summer.

It was "a very last-minute" decision that took Cheika to Mattioli Woods Welford Road last year, and came as his wife and children were preparing to move from their Paris home back to Australia.

Cheika has been quick to turn a Tigers team that finished eighth in the Premiership last season into a side now well placed to challenge for league and European honours before he leaves.

However, he was quick to quash any suggestion that Tigers' pursuit of glory would be about giving him a memorable send-off.

"It's nothing to do with me," Cheika said. "That would be a very vain approach to think they will be doing it for me.

"I'm here in the leadership position and that position is to serve; you have to serve the people, serve my players, the club and do the absolute best I can. If anything it's on me to do more than I could ever do to make sure that is concretized.

"The fact that I would not be here next year would have no bearing on my desire to win. That burns pretty bright regardless."

Cheika's decision not to remain at Leicester beyond the summer came at the start of the two-month break in Premiership action to accommodate the Six Nations.

Tigers went into the break fourth in the Premiership table, with seven matches remaining, and are in the last 16 of the European Champions Cup, where they face Glasgow Warriors in April.

So it was before Tigers' first game back against East Midlands rivals Northampton Saints on Friday that the Australian has spoken for the first time about his impending exit.

Cheika described the decision as "tough", but explained the reason he only settled on a one-year deal was the same reason he decided he could not stay.

"There was no light bulb moment or being swayed," he said. "I don't think it's ever changed from the very start, it's no secret that my family's not here.

"I'm used to being away for that sort of timeframe of six months for international footy, and I think that's OK. Even a year has been OK, they [family] have come and gone, but when it is year-on-year it's probably not what we planned together."

Since it was confirmed Cheika would move on, he has been linked to numerous roles - from being one of the favourites for the Wales job to a move back to France with Racing 92 and even a shock second term as Wallabies boss.

"I've not got anything sorted," said Cheika, when BBC Radio Leicester asked him about his future plans.

"I'm trying to not think about that to be honest, I just want to do my best here and see what happens."

Cheika's planned departure also has Tigers now looking for their ninth new head coach in less than nine years.

Ex-Tigers player and former Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard is reportedly in line for the job, although ex-England boss Stuart Lancaster and celebrated former Leicester prop and ex-Munster head coach Graham Rowntree have also been linked.

Cheika says he has given "bits and pieces of advice" in Tigers' search for his replacement, but stressed he is playing no formal role in recruitment.

"The owners and management are in charge of the destination of the club going forward," he said.

"I'm not going to be here, so advisement is absolutely the correct process."