The full-back was in the dressing room, in December after the 23-16 win over Clermont, when boss Steve Borthwick and his defence guru Kevin Sinfield told the squad they were jumping ship to take England jobs.
Scrum-half Wiggles-worth, right, had to hastily quit playing, after an appearance off the bench against the French side, to take the reins in the Midlands.
And the club were going into tailspin after a run of three Premiership defeats, made worse when they were beaten 19-18 by Northampton at Welford Road.
Then six wins on the spin propelled Tigers into today’s semi-final clash with Sale and a shot at getting the chance to defend their crown at Twickenham in a fortnight.
Wigglesworth, 39, has heaped praise on his squad for their rise from the ashes but Steward insists he has been the main driver. “When the initial announcement was made, there was a bit of shock and frustration,” said Steward.
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