Richard Cockerill has swipe at Leicester's critics

Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill savoured his team’s reversal of fortunes against Munster on Saturday.

The director of rugby’s job was reportedly on the line following their European record 38-0 defeat at Thomond Park. Yet after a week of feverish speculation in the English media, the much-needed Champions Cup victory at Welford Road gave him the opportunity to bite back at what he felt had been unfair criticism of his beloved club rather than of last week’s poor performance.

“We are a big club. We deserve to be treated with respect even when it is shit because we have a different model of how we run the club; we are proud of that and sometimes you lose,” Cockerill said. “It has been an opportunity for some people to have a real crack at the club from top to bottom and it is not right.