European champions Wasps are fighting for Heineken Cup survival after fierce
rivals Leicester won a no-holds-barred battle at the Causeway Stadium.
Wasps, inspired by full-back Mark Van Gisbergen's goalkicking, wiped out a
22-6 deficit inside the opening quarter to draw level midway through the second
half.
But Leicester, Cup winners in 2000 and 2002, displayed all their rich European
pedigree as they secured a priceless pool one away win before next Sunday's
Welford Road return clash.
Fly-half Andy Goode was the Tigers hero, kicking 22 points, including a late
penalty and drop-goal to clinch victory in one of the great Heineken Cup games.
Leicester's overwhelming domination in the scrums - England prop Julian White
was named man-of-the-match - ultimately undid Wasps.
Lawrence Dallaglio's team have now got it all to do in the quest for a
quarter-final place, given that two of their last three games are away - against
Leicester and Biarritz.
Wasps, courtesy of a losing bonus point, still top the group. But Martin
Johnson's Tigers know that if they can complete a quickfire double next weekend
the last eight is within sight.
Leicester blew Wasps away early on through tries from flanker Lewis Moody,
full-back Geordan Murphy and number eight Martin Corry.
Wasps clawed them back magnificently, Van Gisbergen booting 26 points - while
England wing Josh Lewsey scored a try.
Yet Leicester displayed nerves of steel when it really mattered, and their
prolonged celebrations at the final whistle told their own story.
Each club fielded 12 internationals for the first all-English Heineken Cup
pool game.
Leicester were without injured top try-scorer Seru Rabeni. But their sizeable
England contingent returned after autumn Test commitments, while Wasps welcomed
back Lewsey, Joe Worsley and Jonny O'Connor in front of a capacity 10,000
crowd.
Tigers went ahead with a spectacular try on 73 seconds which followed Wasps
hooker Phil Greening's blunder.
Greening's wayward line-out throw just inside the Wasps half was pouched by
Neil Back, who set up a thrilling attack which involved decisive contributions
by centres Daryl Gibson and Ollie Smith.
Smith rifled out a scoring pass to Moody, who dived over in the corner.
Goode converted from the touchline, and booted a 45-metre penalty after a
dust-up between Dallaglio and Tigers scrum-half Harry Ellis.
Leicester struck again with another supremely-worked score after 11 minutes.
England number eight Corry won line-out possession, and a slick threequarter
move with Gibson at its hub ended with Murphy sprinting over.
Trailing 15-0 and stuck in first gear, Wasps did not know what had hit them -
and they badly needed Van Gisbergen's quickfire penalty double.
But within 60 seconds of Van Gisbergen bisecting the posts, Tigers conjured up
a third try.
Austin Healey was the architect, displaying outstanding vision to arrow a kick
towards the corner. With Lewsey out of position, Corry exploited time and space
for a try which Goode converted.
Wasps had no answer, off the pace in comparison to their opponents, but they
got a break at just the right time.
Ellis was sin-binned for a technical offence, and within three minutes after
sustained forward pressure Lewsey prospered by sprinting through a yawning gap.
Van Gisbergen slotted the conversion to cut the deficit to 22-13 before Ellis
returned.
Another Van Gisbergen penalty three minutes before the break left Leicester
ruing their indiscipline, but a Goode three-pointer resumed normal service until
he needlessly barged Lewsey off the ball.
Van Gisbergen landed the resulting penalty, ending a breathless first half
with Leicester 25-19 ahead.
After half-time, Wasps immediately put Leicester under pressure - and a
short-range Van Gisbergen penalty brought them within striking distance for the
first time.
Van Gisbergen should have drawn his team level two minutes later but rifled an
easy chance wide - his first miss - after Wasps gained an extra 10 metres when
Johnson was punished for complaining against the original decision.
The Wasps full-back quickly made amends, finding his range from the touchline
and hauling the hosts level.
By the final quarter, the game had become a survival of the fittest - and
bravest - and Goode edged Leicester ahead before kicking another penalty, this
time from 50 metres, to make it 31-25.
Back came Wasps, with Van Gisbergen's seventh and eighth successful penalties
during a three-minute spell tying the game at 31-31 - just two weeks after the
clubs drew 17-17 in a Zurich Premiership clash on the same ground.
Wasps laid siege to Leicester's 22 during the closing minutes, centre Ayoola
Erinle and flanker Worsley both going close. But Tigers weathered the storm, and
a raking Goode touch-finder relieved mounting pressure.
Goode then administered the killer blows, with one final penalty and a
last-gasp drop-goal to give Leicester a remarkable victory.
Teams
Wasps: van Gisbergen, Lewsey, Erinle, Abbott, Voyce, King,
Dawson, Dowd, Greening, Green, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley,
O'Connor, Dallaglio.
Replacements: Gotting for Greening (59),
Mackenzie for Green (65).
Not Used: Haskell, Hart, Biljon, Brooks, Hoadley.
Tries: Lewsey. Cons: van Gisbergen.
Pens: van Gisbergen 8.
Leicester: Murphy, Lloyd, Smith, Gibson, Healey, Goode, Ellis,
Rowntree, Chuter, White, M. Johnson, L. Deacon, Moody, Back,
Corry.
Replacements: A. Tuilagi for Lloyd (67).
Not Used: Cockerill, Kay, Morris, W. Johnson, Bemand, Vesty.
Tries: Moody, Murphy, Corry.
Cons: Goode 2.
Pens: Goode 5.
Drop Goals: Goode.
Sin Bin: Ellis (23).
Att: 10,000
Ref: Nigel Williams (Wales).
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