Leinster capped an outstanding year for Irish rugby by claiming a first Heineken Cup with a 19-16 win over English champions Leicester at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Stand-in flyhalf Jonny Sexton proved the difference as he showed no nerves in slotting over a 30m penalty with 10 minutes remaining to split the two evenly matched teams.
Leinster’s success, the third Irish province to lift the trophy after Ulster and Munster, followed a first Grand Slam for Ireland in 61 years in March and the selection of a national record 14 players in the original British and Irish Lions squad.
PHOTO: AP
The result was tough on Leicester who were aiming for a record equaling third triumph in the competition and had recovered after a surprisingly sluggish start to lead by seven points in the second half.
Canny Leicester forced Leinster onto the back foot after a clean break by England center Dan Hipkiss and tighthead prop Stan Wright was shown a yellow card in the 33rd minute for desperately tackling flyhalf Sam Vesty without the ball.
Dupuy kicked the resulting penalty and Leicester made the most of their numerical advantage. After heavy pressure on the Leinster line, flanker Ben Woods crashed through two tackles to score the game’s opening try a minute before halftime.
But when Leinster were restored to 15 men they began working through the phases and No. 8 Jamie Heaslip stretched over from the back of a ruck in the 50th minute after Australian Rocky Elsom and O’Driscoll had gone close.
“It means absolutely everything,” Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll said. “This is the one that I always wanted.”
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