Leinster lift first Heineken Cup with win over Tigers
Jonathan Sexton kept his nerve when it mattered
Also In The News
|
European football's governing body Uefa has charged Chelsea and two of their players with improper conduct over the aftermath of their Champions League defeat by Barcelona earlier this month. |  |
Saturday, 23, May 2009 11:41
Leinster have won their first Heineken Cup with a hard-fought 19-16 win over Leicester in the final at Murrayfield.
Leinster dominated the early stages of the match and took a 9-6 lead thanks to a drop goal from Brian O'Driscoll and a penalty and drop-goal from Jonathan Sexton.
But the Tigers came into the game towards the end of the half and went in ahead after Ben Woods crossed the try-line.
In a see-saw encounter, Leinster got back to 16-16 in the second-half after Jamie Heaslip bundled over for a try. And it was left to youngster Sexton to win the game for Leinster with a late penalty.
Leinster put in a sensational display to defeat Munster in the semi-finals and they started the final where they left off in that match.
A rampaging run from Rocky Elsom put Leinster in perfect position for a drop-goal and O'Driscoll slotted the ball over to give his side the lead.
The elusive Dan Hipkiss broke for Leicester at the other end and got the penalty when Heaslip was penalised for not rolling away from the tackle and Julien Dupuy converted after missing a penalty at the start of the game.
Sexton, who was only playing his third Heineken Cup game due to an injury to Felipe Contepomi, showed he was feeling no nerves as he kicked a monster drop-goal from close to the halfway line to regain the lead for Leinster.
The Irish side had a sustained spell of pressure and came inches away from scoring the opening try. A wayward Leicester line-out fell to Leinster and a clever inside-ball from Sexton to Gordon D'Arcy released the centre and he bundled towards the try-line, but was stopped just short by two Leicester players.
The Leinster pressure paid off after 24 minutes when Leicester were caught off-side and Sexton kicked the penalty to give his side a six point lead.
A mesmerising run from Hipkiss got Leicester out of their own-half and the move eventually led to the Tigers getting a penalty and Stan Wright being sin-binned for a tackle off the ball. Dupuy kicked for the three points.
The break from Hipkiss gave Leicester the impotence to drive forward and they also made the extra man count for the opening try.
A driving run from Ayoola Erinle put Leicester in a good attacking position and then Sam Vesty took on the attack and off-loaded the ball from the tackle to Woods and he crashed over the try-line. Dupuy added the conversion.
Leinster prop Cian Healy went offside and stupidly kicked away the ball and Dupuy made Leinster pay by converting the penalty to give his side a 16-9 lead.
The Tigers then suffered two big blows. First they lost skipper Geordan Murphy to injury and then conceded the try. O'Driscoll cut through two Leicester players to get his side close to the try-line and his Ireland team-mate Heaslip trampled over the try. Sexton added the extras to level the scores.
The 23-year-old Sexton then had the biggest kick of his life when his side were awarded a penalty after the Tigers were guilty of going into a ruck off their feat.
Sexton struck the ball and it looked like it was going wide before curling back in at the last moment and it proved to the decisive kick as it won the game for Leinster.