Leicester Complete The Heineken Cup Picture in England

A try from Neil Back, sixteen minutes into extra time of the Wild Card final, ensured that Leicester Tigers will be one of the six English teams that will take part in the 2003/2004 Heineken Cup. The try, converted by Tim Stimpson gave Leicester a 27-20 victory over Saracens in a game played at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens, a contest that was full of drama from start to finish.

Leicester looked to be on their way when they led 17-12 with a little less than a minute of normal time to play. And when Saracaens ran back a punted clearance there seemed little enough danger as the ball reached Sarrie winger Richard Houghton on the right and 30 metres from the Tigers line. However, Houghton danced past several defenders to score to the right of the posts and leave former Tiger, Andrew Goode to tap over a difficult enough conversion and tie the match 17 points apiece.

The drama continued into injury time when Richard Hill was penalised – with three minutes of stoppage played – right in front of the Sarrie’s post and his tap over looked certain – again – to decide the issue. But from the restart, Ben Kay was pinged for a tackle without the ball, and from the 10 metre line Goode nonchalantly stroked over the kick to send the game into extra-time – a period that was ended decisively with that late Back lash.

Leicester now join, London Wasps, Gloucester, Northampton, Gloucester, Leeds Tykes and Sale Sharks as the English representatives in next year’s competition.

Stade Francais and Toulouse will contest the final of the French Championship with the winner seeded number one in the HC 2003/04 while the others French sides involved will be Agen, Biarritz Olympique, Bourgoin and Perpignan.

Italy: Amatori & Calvisano and Benetton Treviso.

Scotland: Borders and Edinburgh Rugby.

Wales: Five regional sides, Cardiff, Llanelli, Gwent and two as yet un-named, Neath-Swansea and Bridgend-Pontypridd.