Leicester Tigers boss Michael Cheika: Premiership final referee gave us nothing - 'Dan Cole sin-bin embarrassing for rugby'

Outgoing Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika said Premiership final referee Karl Dickson "gave us nothing" and labelled the late Dan Cole sin-binning "embarrassing for the game."

Leicester suffered a 23-21 defeat to Bath at Twickenham on Saturday, as the latter clinched a first Premiership title for 29 years - dating back to 1996.

Tigers fell 20-7 behind in the second half but narrowed the gap back to a score at 20-14 with 12 minutes to play via a Solomone Kata try. Two minutes later Cole - playing in the final professional match of his career - was harshly sin-binned when he came out of the line to charge down a Finn Russell kick, making contact after the ball had gone.

Referee Dickson decreed it a penalty offence, marking where the ball landed in the Leicester half and sending Cole to the bin for the remainder. Russell kicked the resulting penalty, with the three points proving decisive.

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That sin-bin decision and the lack of further reward for scrum dominance throughout the contest irked Cheika post-match.

"The scrum, we were dominating completely. I've never seen it before in my life, dominating like that and getting nothing, zero. In fact, getting penalised against!" Cheika said.

"Obviously that was a strategical point for us to try and dominate there and in mauls as well. That was completely nullified, it cost us field position. I think with three minutes to go it was nine penalties to two. It is impossible to manage a field position scenario with that outcome.

"I don't think, and I'll always have a slightly biased lens, we were that much more than them. It was frustrating to say the least.

"[The yellow card for Cole was] Ridiculous. And the guy should be embarrassed to send him off for that. It wasn't even dangerous. It was hardly even a penalty.

"For me personally, if the game is sending players to the sin-bin for that, or even penalising…What do I say mate? If I say something, I'll get myself in strife and take away from the other team.

"I just have to beat myself up inside and try and keep as much as I can inside. I've got my feelings on the referee's performance but I'll take that up with [head of refereeing] Paul Hull as one last final…banter, let's say."

Speaking to TNT Sports post-match before attending his press conference, Cheika also said: "I thought we got nothing back from the referee at all and we kept on coming back and turning up. We scored three tries to two, that tells you something. I'm super proud of the players.

"Two men in the bin, the second one for nothing, really. It is embarrassing for the game that someone goes off for that. I'm allowed to be angry, but I'm over it and happy to accept the result now and get on with the next thing."

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