Tim Stimpson kicked Leicester to the English Premiership championship title with an immaculate performance against his former club Newcastle yesterday.
Former Lion star Stimpson slotted seven penalties from seven attempts to give Leicester the points they required for championship success.
It was a sweet moment for Stimpson, who left Newcastle last summer after a contract dispute that saw him spend weeks on the sidelines.
But how he revelled in front of a near full house at Kingston Park, showing Newcastle what they had missed by proving wonderfully consistent despite often unbearable tension.
Leicester's deserved victory means they have won the title a fortnight inside the distance, and few people can doubt the validity of their claim to English rugby's crown.
Cup finalists Newcastle, who desperately needed victory in their quest for European qualification, gave it everything, and when England star Jonny Wilkinson kicked three penalties during a nine-minute second half spell, Leicester looked in trouble.
But typically, the Tigers dug deep and two more goals meant the champagne could at last be uncorked.
Although Leicester won't receive the Premiership trophy until their final game at home to West Hartlepool in a fortnight, there were still scenes of riotous celebrations, deservedly led by Stimpson.
Northampton have pushed their midlands rivals throughout the campaign, yet Leicester go into that West Hartlepool fixture with a six-point advantage over their closest rivals.
They've lost just four League matches all season, time and time again producing quality performances when it really mattered.
Leicester captain Martin Johnson hailed the Tigers' unsung heroes after the Premiership title was secured at Newcastle.
"The best thing about this season is that when we have had injuries, guys have come in and really done a job," said the England lock.
"For large parts of the campaign, we've been without people like Will Greenwood, Austin Healey and Joel Stransky, so it has been a real squad effort.
"When we last won the title in 1995 it was over 18 games rather than 26 this time, so it is a tribute to everyone that we have come through and won the championship with one match still remaining.
"Today was a very hard game, Newcastle produced a good performance, but we made a lot of tackles and Tim Stimpson's goalkicking was fantastic."
Meanwhile, a 26-21 home defeat at the hands of Saracens on Saturday may have ended London Irish's hopes of playing in Europe next season.
Cruel as it may be to single him out, South African flanker Jake Boer dropped Peter Richards's pass in the final minutes with team-mates gathering outside him.
Seven minutes of injury time also failed to breach a resolute Saracens defence and so Irish's parting shot at Sunbury, before the first team leaves to become tenants of Harlequins, was of the pop gun variety.
