It was 11 years ago that he won the Super Rugby title with New South Wales Waratahs, a victory of history-making proportions after he guided Leinster to Heineken Cup honours by beating Tigers in the 2009 European final.
No coach before or since has managed to replicate what he has achieved across hemispheres.
In the decade between club coaching jobs at Waratahs and Tigers, Cheika took Australia to the 2015 World Cup final – a run that earned him the World Rugby coach of the year award – then led Argentina to the last four of the global tournament in 2023.
What he achieve with Argentina was done during a jobshare arrangement which saw him take Lebanon to the rugby league World Cup a year earlier.
And now the Australian has a huge chance of making a glorious impression on the Premiership at the end of his flyby campaign at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Tigers had finished eighth last season under former boss Dan McKellar and they are now second in the table heading into the final day of the regular season.
“I know that with turnarounds, which is what I came into, they take a certain amount of time. We doing it at an accelerated process,” Cheika said.
“We have come in from Monday with a clear idea, and theme that the next part of journey is the last to get to the summit, I suppose.”
Leicester host bottom side Newcastle Falcons on Saturday knowing victory will guarantee a home semi-final a week later.
“We understand that this weekend is finals footy – it’s as knockout as it comes, as knockout as it will be at any other time,” Cheika said.
“I want to play with a finals-like intensity on Saturday, and just win that game like we have all year and let all the cards fall wherever they fall.”
