Leicester head coach Michael Cheika was delighted to book a Gallagher Premiership semi-final in front of his club’s fans with a 42-20 victory over Newcastle.
Tigers will face Sale at Mattioli Woods Welford Road for a shot at the final next Saturday after running in six tries against the bottom-placed Falcons, who put in a dogged display despite having nothing to play for.
It leaves Leicester potentially two games away from a 12th league title, in what is former Australia coach Cheika’s one and only season in charge.
Cheika said: “I hadn’t targeted anything except winning the comp – you don’t come into the comp without targeting to win it.
Fixture
Gallagher Premiership
Leicester
Sale
“I never really had a premeditated idea of where to be.
“I’m really pleased for the fans, that they get another opportunity to see the team this year, and for the players to have a chance to play in front of their people and their families here next weekend.
“Obviously, it’s a semi-final of the Premiership, it’ll be a tough battle and that’ll be good.
“We’ve done what we wanted to do – somehow we’ve got there, I’m not sure how but we’ve got there.
“I know what the game was going to be like, I knew it was going to be a tricky one from the start.
“There’s a lot going on, with boys retiring and trying to make that all fit in.
“Newcastle had nothing to lose and they’re a gritty team.”
Leicester huffed and puffed in opening up a 14-6 half-time lead thanks to tries from Hanro Liebenberg and Josh Bassett.
But the hosts improved and eased clear in the second half through scores from Solomone Kata, Joe Heyes, Matt Rogerson and Ollie Hassell-Collins, with Ollie Leatherbarrow and Sammy Arnold grabbing Falcons consolations.
Newcastle consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond said: “I’m not too disappointed. I’ve come here many times and had a good hiding.
“We didn’t get a good hiding, so it is a positive.
“We maybe could have had a couple (more tries), but that’s the difference in the teams at the minute.
“I said it last week that we’re a ‘nearly team’ and we’ve got to get those errors out of our system, and you do that by getting better coaching and better players.
“There was a lot of motivation in different areas; the last time the group play together, Chicky (Callum Chick) has played every game – 50-odd games – since I’ve been here, so his voice would be missed.
“A few people stood up in his position – I thought Freddie Lockwood had an outstanding game at number eight.
“There aren’t many times when I can knock their effort, but there were some subtle differences (in quality).”
