Tigers have climbed out of 'crevasse' - Cheika

Leicester Tigers' Solomone Kata celebrates scoring a try with Josh Bassett

Head coach Michael Cheika praised his Leicester Tigers side for the way they clambered back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats had them in a "hole".

Tigers thrashed South African side Sharks 56-17 on Saturday for their first victory in this season's Investec Champions Cup.

They were heavily beaten a week earlier by Bordeaux in their competition opener, having started the month with a Premiership defeat at Sale Sharks.

"We fell in a little crevasse and we were stuck there after the Sale game," Cheika told BBC Radio Leicester.

"It didn't go for us, but that happens.

"You then have to work your way back up and out of that hole and back up on to the mountain where you want to go."

After Saturday's win, Cheika reflected on the demands of December positively, saying the lessons learned in defeat will prove to be important.

"We have worked hard on that without panicking," he said.

"There are things we could have done better, yes sure, in all three games, but we have worked our way step by step through."

Cheika, a European Cup-winning head coach with former club Leinster, says Tigers now have to "understand what we have got" out of the past few weeks and ensure they "bring that to the next game" against fellow Premiership high-flyers Bristol Bears.

Tigers are one spot below second-placed Bears, who are equal on points with Premiership leaders Bath after seven games.

"That is going to be a cracker," Cheika said of Saturday's home game against Bristol. "It's going to be a huge game for us."