Leicester win shoot-out to reach final

Cardiff Blues 26-26 Leicester (aet):Leicester won the first penalty shoot-out in Heineken Cup history to book a final showdown with Leinster at Murrayfield on May 23rd after they defeated Cardiff in today's semi-final at the Millennium Stadium.

The Tigers, European champions in 2001 and 2002, kept alive hopes of a third title thanks to number eight Jordan Crane’s 22-metre penalty which concluded a bizarre end to a contest which went to extra-time.

Leicester won the penalty shoot-out 7-6, Crane striking gold after Blues’ Wales and Lions flanker Martyn Williams missed.

Both teams were reduced to taking shots at goal from in front of the posts and Cardiff had the advantage when Leicester wing Johne Murphy missed his team’s fourth kick.

However, Blues wing Tom James, whose late try had taken the game into

extra-time, fired his kick wide, allowing the Tigers to live again via sudden death.

It was a cruel way to end a pulsating contest, especially when it seemed as though a remarkable Blues fightback would reap a spectacular reward.

The Welsh side looked down and out, trailing 26-12 with just six minutes of normal time remaining.

But converted tries by Wales internationals Jamie Roberts and James — which rounded off an electrifying 80-metre move — looked to have halted Leicester’s Murrayfield march.

It took the game into extra-time and Leicester only had themselves to blame, having a player — flanker Craig Newby and then full-back Geordan Murphy — in the sin-bin for each score.

But after a scoreless extra 20 minutes, Williams proved the villain and Leicester took the glory.

It keeps them on course for a third European and domestic double as they face Bath in the Guinness Premiership play-offs in six days’ time.

At one stage Leicester looked as though they could afford marksman Julien Dupuy to miss his first three kicks at goal, such was their dominance for much of the contest in front of a 44,000-strong crowd.

But Dupuy came up trumps by landing his next six, giving him a 16-point haul to complement superbly-worked tries for wing Scott Hamilton and Murphy.

Ben Blair and Leigh Halfpenny each kicked two penalties for the Blues, but Toulouse’s quarter-final conquerors failed to score after trailing 13-12 at half-time until their late two-try burst.

Blair nervelessly added both touchline conversions, yet it was Leicester who ultimately prevailed amid dramatic scenes.

The Blues fielded five of their South Africa-bound Lions contingent, but a sixth — Wales number eight Andy Powell — had to be content with a place on the bench as cover for in-form New Zealander Xavier Rush.

Leicester sprung a selection surprise at scrum-half as Lions number nine Harry Ellis missed out behind Dupuy.

Blair booted Cardiff ahead in the 14th minute, but only after Blues skipper Paul Tito had limped off.

Despite Frenchman Dupuy’s inaccuracy, Leicester enjoyed territorial supremacy and scored 10 points in four minutes.

England fly-half Toby Flood created a superb try when his clever run and brilliant pass freed Hamilton on a weaving run to the line.

Dupuy added the conversion and then kicked a penalty as Leicester forged a 10-3 lead.

The Blues had to reply swiftly and they were helped by Leicester’s

indiscipline, with Blair and Halfpenny helping themselves during a damaging six-minute spell.

Halfpenny booted a penalty from just inside Leicester’s half, then Blair slotted a 35-metre effort before Halfpenny landed another long-range effort, assisted by Flood being penalised for dissent.

Dupuy though, had the last word of a fast and furious half, slotting another penalty after poor defensive work by Blues scrum-half Richie Rees that left his half-back partner Nicky Robinson in no-man’s land.

Leicester looked to build on their one-point interval advantage and Flood restarted the contest as an increasingly influential performer.

And it told on the Blues within five minutes, when his wonderfully-soft hands and delivery sent skipper Murphy racing over between the posts for a try that Dupuy improved.

It was scintillating rugby from the Tigers, leaving Cardiff with a mountain to climb at 20-12 adrift and two further Dupuy penalties during the third quarter put Leicester 14 points ahead.

The Blues sensed a glimmer of hope when Newby was sin-binned 19 minutes from time but they could not break Leicester’s resistance until six minutes from time when Roberts burst through.

It made for a pulsating finale though, with James’ scintillating breakaway score — converted by Blair — sending the tie into 20 minutes of extra time, then penalties.