Leicester hang on to retain Heineken Cup

Murphy and Healey seal it for Tigers

English champions Leicester Tigers made history in Cardiff on Saturday as they became the first side to retain the Heineken Cup, tries from Geordan Murphy and Austin Healey helping them to a tense 15-9 win over Irish province and perennial European bridesmaids Munster in the final.

Murphys first half try and Healeys dummy-and-go in the second had seen the pre-match favourites all-but assured of victory after Munster's Ireland fly-half Ronan OGara missed two kickable penalties late on, but this game will be remembered by many for some sleight of hand which Paul Daniels or David Blaine would be proud of - the perpetrator being Leicesters England openside Neil Back in the dying seconds of injury-time.

With Munster one converted try away from victory, piling on the pressure five metres from the Leicester line and with the put-in to one of the most important scrummages in their history, Back was seen on the Millennium Stadium big screen - by aghast hordes of Irish fans - to scoop the ball from the clutches of scrum-half Peter Stringer and into the Tigers side of the scrum, before it had even left Stringers hands.

French referee Joel Jutge - as well as almost everyone in the stadium - at first glance thought it to be one of the most crucial and well-executed scrummage wins against the head ever to grace a major Cup final, but when the big screen showed Backs blatant pick-pocketing in all its cheeky glory, all Leicester had to do was clear their lines and celebrate the final whistle, for a win which adds to their remarkable last ditch victory over Stade Francais in Paris a year ago.

To focus solely on Backs pilfering at that injury-time scrum would be overly harsh on a Leicester side whose dominance upfront, especially in the second half, had Munster on the ropes, despite the Irishmen leading 6-5 at the break after two OGara penalties to Murphys try.

Munster finally found their feet late on with a spate of substitutions from outgoing coach Declan Kidney, wing John ONeill denied a try by the video referee after going over in the right corner, but clattering the corner flag under a heavy tackle as he skilfully placed the ball down in midair.

Earlier on, what the first half lacked in terms of clear chances, it certainly made up for in intensity and tension, both formidable packs going toe-to-toe and testing the patience of referee Jutge with their brinksmanship at the contact area.

Munster looked to be suffering a little stagefright in the opening exchanges, almost immediately going behind when fullback Dominic Crotty watched a Garryowen bounce in front of him on his own 22, a certain try only being prevented when Fredi Tuilagi needlessly gave Crotty a slight shove in the back before touching the ball down over the tryline - referee Jutge giving Munster a reprieve for their slackness, with a penalty.

Leicester had a golden chance for an early lead when Peter Clohessys keenness at the contact area handed Leicester's Tim Stimpson a penalty, but this time the fullbacks radar appeared to be turned off as he bludgeoned it wide of the uprights.

Only minutes later OGara kicked Munster ahead from 30 metres to break the deadlock, a Stimpson missed drop-goal attempt being followed by OGaras second penalty as the pendulum started to swing ever so slightly the way of the Irishmen.

It did not last though, and with the wave of bottle green shirts piling forward, it was an Irishman who was to break the try-scoring deadlock, Leicester wing Geordan Murphy dancing over the line in the right corner for a score stained with a hint of Samoan grit, a dose of English pragmatism and a finish typical of Murphys trademark Irish flamboyance.

It was a break from Tuilagi in midfield which created the opening, his thoughtful offload to Stimpson just inside the Munster half giving the fullback the chance to pierce the three-quarter line and show Crotty a dummy on the 22 down the right wing at pace, before holding the last defender and giving Murphy a ten-metre scarper for the line, Stimpson however missing the extras despite Murphys thoughtfulness to run the ball almost under the posts after going over in the corner - a miss which saw Munster in at the interval as 6-5 leaders.

A scrappy start to the second half saw penalties aplenty as old stagers Darren Garforth and Peter Clohessy scrapped it out in the scrum, but it was Garforths indiscretion in the front-row lottery which led to Munster extending their lead, OGara nailing a monster of a penalty from 50 metres plus for a 9-5 advantage.

Leicester had to seize the initiative, and did it in the bravest of manners, twice turning down kickable penalties to go for lineouts, the second of those penalties being only ten metres from the Munster line.

It paid off though, as from the lineout a rolling maul gathered pace, the ball being spun infield from the left wing by replacement scrum-half Harry Ellis to Healey, who dummied before breaking the tackle of OGara for a typical jinking Healey try, Stimpson hitting the straightforward conversion for a three-point advantage - the first time they had led all game, and one they were never to give up.

The tension seemed to be getting to a Munster side increasingly being starved of possession, OGara catching a penalty heavily from just outside the 22, right of the posts, to send it well wide as they sensed a chance to gain parity - Stimpson rubbing salt in the wound with a booming 50 metre penalty to see the Tigers further ahead.

The video referee was called into action with Munster desperately searching for a chink of light in the stern Leicester rearguard, replacement centre Mike Mullins putting John ONeill in down the right wing, but the Tigers tacklers bundling the wing into the corner flag - a verdict confirmed by the replay as the pace of the game increased in the more open spaces.

OGara missed another penalty as the clock ran down, and the pressure piled on both sets of players, Munster forcing Leicester to give away a series of penalties in their own 22 as the pack revved up for a grandstand finish.

The now-infamous scrum under the Tigers posts was to prove the end of their challenge however, with Backs cheeky, impudent, cynical - call it what you will - steal from scrum-half Stringers hands set to go down in rugby folklore, the final whistle following almost immediately afterwards as Leicester stamped their authority as the top dogs of the European game.

On balance, probably a just result for the physical Englishmen, who will hopefully be remembered for more than one piece of  now you see it, now you dont at the scrum.

The gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down for next years challengers.

Planet Rugby man of the match: Tim Stimpson
Magnificent in defence, playing the percentages well and clearing his lines ably, arguably Stimpsons best moment came with his assist for Murphys try, as he drew the last defender after dummying Dominic Crotty. The Leicester fullback's goal-kicking mixed an early jittery miss with some subsequent sublime long-range efforts, but with few other standout individual performances, Stimpson gets our vote. For Munster, David Wallace fought hard at openside and Ronan OGara gained some decent territory, but his wayward goal-kicking late on let down his overall showing.

Moment of the match: Austin Healeys try
Not as fleeting or dramatic as Murphys but the ballsy decision to go for touch from a close range penalty when four points down, paid off big-time when the fly-half scuttled over from a show-and-go at first receiver under the posts for a vital try to give his side a lead they would never lose.

Villain of the match: Neil Back
After getting away with scooping the ball illegally from Peter Stringers hands during the most important scrum of the season, is the Leicester openside a hero or a villain? Guess it depends on which colour shirt youre wearing, but even though his cunning is to be admired, the cynical nature of his cheeky late steal left a sour taste in the mouth for many across the Irish Sea.

Leicester Tigers
Tries: Murphy, Healey
Con: Stimpson
Pen: Stimpson

Munster
Pens: OGara 3

Sin bin: None

(Half-time: Leicester Tigers 5 Munster 6)

Leicester Tigers
15 Tim Stimpson, 14 Geordan Murphy, 13 Ollie Smith (Gelderbloom, 76), 12 Rod Kafer, 11 Freddie Tuilagi, 10 Austin Healey, 9 Jamie Hamilton (Ellis, 51), 8 Martin Corry, 7 Neil Back, 6 Lewis Moody, 5 Ben Kay, 4 Martin Johnson (CAPTAIN), 3 Darren Garforth, 2 Dorian West, 1 Graham Rowntree (Freshwater, 74).

Munster
15 Dominic Crotty (Staunton, 66), 14 John ONeill, 13 Rob Henderson (Mullins, 67), 12 Jason Holland, 11 John Kelly, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Anthony Foley (Williams, 52), 7 David Wallace, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Paul O'Connell (ODriscoll, 61), 4 Mick Galwey (CAPTAIN), 3 John Hayes, 2 Frankie Sheahan (Blaney, 17-28), 1 Peter Clohessy (Horan 64).

Referee: Joel Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Joel Dume, Didier Mene (France)

By Mark Smith