Harlequins will meet Newcastle in the Tetley's Bitter Cup final next month after recording a stunning victory over Premiership leaders Leicester.

Quins, 35 points and 10 places below Tigers in the league, fought back from 15-8 adrift just before half-time to thrill a packed house at The Stoop.

They were steered to Twickenham for the first time since 1993 through tries from their international trio Keith Wood, David Wilson and former Leicester star Will Greenwood.

Had fly-half Craig Chalmers not missed six kicks at goal, many of them from comfortable positions, then Quins could have celebrated a far more emphatic success.

Suspended Leicester and England skipper Martin Johnson could only watch from the sidelines as his Cup favourites came spectacularly unstuck.

Quins, hit by the resignation of their New Zealand coach Zinzan Brooke five days ago, somehow suffused a Tigers outfit containing 11 internationals.

With Brooke gone, Quins were coached this week by his former assistant Richard Hill and club chief executive Mark Evans, and what a tremendous triumph over adversity and all odds this proved.

Leicester sorely missed Johnson's inspired leadership, making uncharacteristic mistakes under pressure and ultimately blowing a healthy lead established by the midway point of a thrilling match.

England's centre Greenwood, who rejoined Quins from Leicester last summer in a quest for regular first team action, was Tigers' main tormentor.

He created hooker Wood's ninth-minute try, scored his own during first-half stoppage time, then popped up again in the move from which Australian flanker Wilson prospered on 44 minutes.

Leicester claimed first-half tries in quick succession from wing Geordan Murphy and fly-half Andy Goode, yet a first defeat in all competitions since October 20 couldn't be avoided.

Quins had beaten Leicester on just one previous Cup occasion - a 1992 semi-final - while losing to them in the final a year later, but not even the most ardent Tigers' fan would deny the Londoners their moment of glory.

Johnson's England colleague Martin Corry replaced him in the second row, while wing Fereti Tuilagi made his comeback after a month out following knee surgery as Leicester looked to book their anticipated place in the final.

England flanker Neil Back took over the captaincy from Johnson, but Leicester were quickly on the back foot as Greenwood's midfield creativity unlocked the visiting defence and sent Wood scurrying over.

Chalmers, who had already failed with a penalty missed the conversion, and Leicester punished those errors on 19 and 23 minutes.

Goode's long pass freed centre Leon Lloyd in space, allowing him to send Murphy over unopposed, and then Goode emerged with the ball from a midfield melee to sprint clear and touchdown.

Full-back Tim Stimpson's conversion, followed by two more Chalmers' penalty failures, suggested that it would be Leicester's day.

However, Quins scored at exactly the right time, Greenwood dashing over for a score that he celebrated in predictably excited fashion. Chalmers' conversion levelled the scores, and Quins ran off to prolonged applause.

When Wilson struck early in the second period, Leicester suddenly had a mountain to climb, and although Stimpson briefly threatened a revival with a 64th-minute penalty, it was not enough.