Tigers' heavy European loss pushes back Cheika talks

Michael Cheika led Argentina to a fourth-placed finish at the 2023 World Cup

Michael Cheika said discussions about him remaining as Leicester Tigers boss have been pushed back after they suffered a club record defeat in the European Champions Cup.

The 57-year-old head coach said reacting to Tigers' 80-12 thrashing by holders Toulouse - the heaviest loss Leicester have suffered in the competition - has been the focus of the East Midlands club this week.

And with Cheika now seven months into his year-long deal, and with less than half the season remaining, BBC Radio Leicester understands that celebrated former Leicester prop and ex-Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has been spoken to as a potential replacement.

As for Cheika, he said he and the club "will get there soon enough" with talks over his future beyond this season.

"We could probably have been talking about that these past couple of days but they have been taken over by a few things," the former Leinster, Stade Francais and Waratahs head coach said.

"Considering everything that happened on the weekend, things went on the backburner there. It's been pretty hectic.

"These days here, yesterday, today, and how we respond in the immediate, because that was tough for everyone.

"How we assess that and the moves that we make - and the moves that we can make definitive and not just as a response - they are the things that we are working on."

Cheika took over from fellow Australia Dan McKellar last summer, with Tigers turning to the former Champions Cup-winning boss after they finished third from bottom of the 10-team Premiership.

The job in the East Midlands was Cheika's first in club rugby for a decade.

His time away from the week-to-week demands, as well as the speed of the appointment, are among the reasons why he committed to only a year.

"I signed a one-year deal for a reason, because I didn't know what was going to happen," he said.

"It was very quick, the whole thing, and I didn't know how this would roll out with my family and then also with me.

"I've really enjoyed it, I've enjoyed everything - the footy, being in England. It's been good, I'd never lived here before and I've really enjoyed it, and also the fans - they have been some of the best fans I have been around.

"And therefore my original stance, which is where I'm still at, is that it's difficult to stay to that.

"I'm trying to find a way that it could work going forward. So when we are talking about negotiations, it's about trying to find a way that it could work for me and for the club."

Tigers, who are fourth in the Premiership table, are back in league action against Gloucester on Saturday.

A two-month break in top-flight action will follow that to accommodate the Six Nations competition.