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No let-up for Leicester boss Cheika as Premiership final exit looms / Photo: © AFP
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No let-up for Leicester boss Cheika as Premiership final exit looms
Michael Cheika said only victory in next week's English Premiership final would do after his Leicester side booked their place in the Twickenham showpiece with a hard-fought 21-16 win at home to Sale on Saturday.
The Tigers will face old foes Bath at the headquarters of English rugby on June 14 after two fine tries by wing Adam Radwan helped them edge past Sale to spark joyful scenes come the final whistle at Welford Road in what was the last Leicester home game for retiring stalwarts Ben Youngs and Dan Cole.
But for veteran Australian coach Cheika, who has overseen a revival in fallen English giants Leicester's fortunes since signing a one-year deal before the start of the season, there is still much to do ahead of what will be his last game in charge of the Tigers.
"This is not an achievement for me –- winning it (the Premiership) is the achievement," said Cheika, previously in charge of both Australia and Argentina at Test level.
The 58-year-old, who steered his native Australia to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham only for the Wallabies to go down 34-17 to New Zealand, added: "I don't want to be a sad sack, but I can't leave any room for complacency around how well we’ve done to make it (to the final).
"I've been doing this for too long. You get to a World Cup final, you think about how good that is and then when you lose, it's the worst feeling you'll ever have.
“I want to make sure that I leave no room in my own personal performance to allow anything to derail our preparation."
Radwan's two tries were the standout moments from Saturday's semi-final, the 27-year-old England wing evading several Sale defenders for his first score before he crossed Sale's line again after athletically catching an overhit chip from Springbok star Handre Pollard.
Cheika, reflecting on Radwan's second try, said: "Adam grew about a foot, I reckon. A foot and a half! He's not the tallest of fellas, Adam, but he got there."
He added: "You've got to be brave to go and do that stuff and if you don't try it, you never know if it'll happen or not. I'm not going to rap him (Radwan) up too much, but it was a good try.
"Pollard had the courage to make the kick and then Adam had the courage to do that extra little bit to go and get it."
B.Ha--SG
