A shocking admission on Michael Cheika appointment for Tigers

Scrum-half Ben Youngs has expressed that Michael Cheika’s appointment as Leicester Tigers head coach has brought a sense of “excitement” to the squad after a season filled with “frustration.”

Cheika, the former head coach of Australia and Argentina, who led Leinster to a European Champions Cup victory in 2009, took over from fellow Australian Dan McKellar at Mattioli Woods Welford Road earlier this summer.

McKellar’s only season in charge saw the Tigers finish eighth in the Premiership, a significant drop from their third-place finish the previous year and their title-winning campaign in 2022.

“Having Michael come in, he is a guy with huge pedigree,” Youngs told BBC Radio Leicester. “When he walks into the room, he immediately commands attention with his presence and vast rugby experience, having been through it all.

“That’s instantly exciting for the squad, especially after the disappointing standards we set for ourselves last year, both as individuals and as a club.

“Having someone like Michael at the helm genuinely energizes the entire club.”

After Dan McKellar’s departure, reports surfaced that he had lost the confidence of senior Leicester Tigers players.

When asked if the players had communicated their concerns about McKellar to the club’s leadership, former England international Ben Youngs responded: “At this club, they’ve always valued the input of the players, and I think that’s really important.

“We don’t make the decisions as players, but we certainly have an informed view on how things are going, especially given our experiences with other coaches and different approaches.

“I believe that relationship between players and management is crucial and works well here.

“It’s a credit to the club that they are open and comfortable enough to seek our perspectives. Of course, they still make the big decisions, which are beyond us as players, but they value the ability to talk to us, understand our viewpoints, and have open communication.”

When asked about the sentiments regarding last season, Youngs admitted there was “frustration” because “what we were delivering wasn’t at the standard and level we expect.”

“The general feeling was that the squad wasn’t performing to its full potential,” he added.

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