Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has accused Sale Sharks of cheating during the sides' Aviva Premiership clash on Saturday.

The hosts won the match 30-23 at Welford Road to go fifth in the table.

"Sale were competitive but when sides come to cheat and cheat and cheat. They were not engaging properly," ESPN quotes Cockerill as saying. "In the first half we had a scrum and we engaged and they just backed out and we got a free kick.

"I wrote that on the half-time card and the referee then warned them in the second half that they were not taking the engage. They just walked backwards, so we got a free kick. If that is how we are going to coach scrummaging, it's no wonder scrums are a disgrace.

"If Steve Diamond is coaching scrums like that, we might as well go home because it's a waste of time. You watch Montpellier v Leicester where we had two scrums who wanted to push. It was a great contest. That today was an absolute debacle and hard for the referee."

Sharks' Steve Diamond has hit back at Cockerill, but admits that Leicester "deserved" to win the contest.

"That's fine coming from an individual like Richard Cockerill," he said. "His controversies with referees go before him. It's for the referee to decide, not Richard.

"I thought his side deserved the win. But if we want to go down the fine art decisions route, there were four penalties in the last minute on their five-metre line where no yellow card was given.

"We have got equal things to discuss. He can bleat as much as he wants. Leicester should shut up, take the points and move on."

Sharks are currently eighth in the table.