Heineken Cup holders Leicester remain the dominant force of European rugby
after they demolished Irish challengers Leinster in their quarter-final clash at
Welford Road.
Successive defeats to Llanelli and Harlequins had led many pundits to question
whether the Tigers' dominance at home and abroad was at an end, and the arrival
of the second favourites only increased the pressure on director of rugby Dean
Richards.
But such was Leicester's dominance they could even gift Leinster a 10-point
start and still emerge comfortable victors, responding with four tries in 15
first-half minutes which shattered the Celtic League winners.
As usual, Austin Healey was at the centre of the Tigers' most incisive
attacking moves, and marked his return from a three-match ban with his side's
third try.
Freddie Tuilagi was another hero, but man of the match honours went to England
flanker Neil Back, who started and finished Leicester's try-scoring spree and
left the pitch 10 minutes from time to a standing ovation.
But it couldn't have started much worse for Leicester.
Hooker Dorian West missed out after failing to recover from a groin strain and
despite making a robust start on a sodden surface, found themselves 10 points
down after the opening quarter.
Fly-half Nathan Spooner opened the scoring with an easy penalty, before Denis
Hickie grabbed the first try in controversial fashion.
With little support, Leicester's Irish full-back Geordan Murphy failed to
gather Spooner's long clearance downfield.
Hickie hacked the loose ball on and led the chase to the line.
At one stage, the Irish winger appeared to be pulled back illegally, but play
was allowed to continue and in a despairing plunge for the line, Healey appeared
to get the first touch.
The match officials thought otherwise, and after consulting his touch-judge,
referee Joel Jutge awarded the try to Healey's obvious anger.
Leicester were staring into the abyss. But you don't reach the brink of four
successive Premiership titles by giving in when the going gets tough and, led by
Martin Johnson, the Tigers roared back.
The absence of Tim Stimpson with a fractured cheekbone certainly weakens
Leicester's goalkicking options, particularly now Healey has returned from
suspension to demote Andy Goode to the bench.
So, with Murphy in erratic form, there was all the more reason to pump any
penalty chances into the corner, a tactic which has served the home side so well
in the past and brought them another three tries today.
Within five minutes, Ben Kay and England discard Martin Corry collected clean
line-out ball.
On the first occasion, Leicester drove forward and Neil Back peeled off to
score.
On the second, Leinster bravely held their opponents up, so the home side
simply swung the ball wide, Lloyd took Healey's long pass and sped into the
corner to level the scores.
Healey skipped over shortly afterwards after more Leicester forward pressure
before Murphy made it four tries in 13 minutes, taking advantage of a four-man
overlap after Freddie Tuilagi had linked with Back down the left wing.
Spooner offered his team some hope with an injury-time penalty, but Leicester
maintained their dominance after the interval, Back scoring a replica of his
first effort after 51 minutes.
Now it was Leinster's turn to find themselves heading for defeat, but like
their opponents, the Celtic League winners have champion qualities, even if
scrum-half Ben Willis appeared to hit the touch flag as he plunged over in the
corner just before the hour.
Crucially, Spooner failed with the conversion, then a long-range penalty as
Leicester clung to an 11-point lead.
Even taking into account, Leinster's desperation, the home side still looked
the most potent attacking threat, Back's tiring legs giving way to All Black
legend Josh Kronfeld.
But on a rare break, Hickie's kick was followed by a rampaging Leinster
forward drive, Lewis Moody deliberately put his hands on the ball in the ruck,
and his outstanding performance was marred by a yellow card which effectively
ended his afternoon.
Leinster had their chances, but a combination of elementary mistakes and
Girvan Dempsey's failure to evade Kronfeld's attentions down the left wing
ensured not even one of the two tries they required was forthcoming.
Teams:
Leicester: Murphy, Smith, Lloyd, Kafer, Tuilagi, Healey, J. Hamilton, Rowntree, Cockerill, Garforth, M. Johnson, Kay, Moody, Back, Corry.
Replacements: Booth for J. Hamilton (60),
Kronfeld for Back (69), Balding for Corry (71).
Not Used: Chuter, Nebbett, Ellis, Goode.
Tries: Back 2, Lloyd, Healey, Murphy.
Cons: Murphy 2.
Sin Bin: Moody (32).
Leinster: Dempsey, D. Hickie, O'Driscoll, Horgan, Darcy, Spooner, Willis, Corrigan, S. Byrne, Wallace, Cullen, Casey, Miller, Gleeson, Costello.
Replacements: Magro for Horgan (50), Keogh for Darcy (71),
G. Hickie for S. Byrne (80), Coyle for Wallace (73),
McCullen for Cullen (50), Brennan for Miller (80).
Not Used: Governey.
Tries: D. Hickie, Willis.
Cons: Spooner.
Pens: Spooner 2.
Att: 16,249
Ref: Joel Jutge (France).
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