Cheika shrugs off power of 'hairdryer' blast in Tigers win

Michael Cheika has overseen four wins from five games as Leicester boss so far

Leicester head coach Michael Cheika says he was only on the gentlest of settings when he delivered the half-time verbal blast that inspired Tigers to Sunday's comeback win against Gloucester.

Tigers overturned an 11-point deficit at the break to prevail 29-26 and move up to third in the Premiership table.

Leicester full-back Freddie Steward said Cheika gave his side the "hairdryer" treatment at the interval, but the Australian laughed off the suggestion when asked about it by BBC Radio Leicester.

"It's an exaggeration," he said. "If it was a hairdryer then it was on the very lowest setting, because there are a couple more settings in me."

What Cheika says he delivered at the interval was a honest assessment of the subdued showing his side had produced in the opening 40 minutes.

"I think you have to tell the truth to the boys at half-time about where we were mentally in that game.

"There was some tactical issues that we needed to address, but that was secondary to the idea that maybe we thought we were going to be handed victory. That doesn't happen ever in this game."

Second-half tries from Josh Bassett, Dan Kelly and Handre Pollard - who also added three conversions and a penalty - proved enough to edge the hosts to a dramatic victory.

"I think they showed good character in the end, because those situations are difficult to get out of," Cheika said.

"We didn't go quiet in that adversity, we stood up."