Leicester 15 Munster 9
Leicester became the first team to successfully defend the European Cup when they beat Munster in a fiercely fought final at a packed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff today.
Tries from winger Geordan Murphy and outhalf Austin Healey, one in either half, and a conversion and penalty from Tim Stimpson were enough for the English champions to cancel out Ronan O'Gara's three penalty kicks.
The match was no classic, but what it lacked in flowing rugby it more than made up for in commitment and passion from both sides and the 74,000 partisan fans under the closed roof of the stadium.
Munster competed well and only some resilient defending from Leicester kept them out in a tense last ten minutes.
Leicester made a positive start and looked like they had scored in the first minute.
Samoan winger Freddie Tuilagi went over the line after Munster fullback Dominic Crotty misjudged a kick from his opposite number Stimpson but French referee Joel Jutge had already blown for a penalty.
Stimpson missed a chance to open the scoring two minutes later from a penalty and it was Munster who took a 3-0 lead through O'Gara after prop Darren Garforth was penalised at a ruck.
Leicester stormed back and Stimpson tried and missed a drop goal before skipper Martin Johnson went over the Munster line only for the referee to disallow the score for a line-out infringement.
Ten minutes later, O'Gara doubled Munster's lead after Leicester and England flanker Lewis Moody was caught offside at a ruck.
But on 25 minutes a Leicester overlap on the right saw Stimpson go free, beat three men and draw a fourth into the tackle before putting Murphy in for the try. Stimpson failed to convert leaving the score at 6-5.
Both teams failed to break through again ahead of the break and Munster’s line-out let them down when O'Gara's fine positional kicking gave them good field position.
Munster tore into Leicester after the break and eight minutes in O'Gara made it 9-6 from a metre inside the Leicester half.
But the English champions came back again. Three times they kicked for field position from penalties and on the third occasion they reaped their rewards.
Number eight Martin Corry won a line-out a few metres and, from the ensuing maul, substitute Harry Ellis passed to Healey, who raced through to touch down under the posts.
Stimpson's conversion, his first successful place kick of the game, made it 12-9.
O'Gara missed a chance to level before Stimpson stretched the lead with a penalty from inside Munster's 10-metre line.
Munster winger John O'Neill then leapt across the Leicester line in the corner but video referee Didier Mene ruled that Healey's tackle had put him into touch in goal.
There was controversy in the dying seconds when Leicester full-back Back slapped the ball away from Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer just as he was about to put into a scrum.
The French referee, however, was not in position to view the incident and Leicester held out for victory.
Back said afterwards: "This game is all about little edges -particularly in finals - and doing what you can to win. That was a very crucial scrum.
"Our defence held up well and I did what I had to do to ensure a win for Leicester."
Munster's Peter Stringer said: "I was trying to put the ball in and one of their players got a hand to it and knocked it out of my hand.
"The ref didn't see it - he was on the other side - but we're going to have to bounce back from this.
"We'll hopefully give the fans something to shout about next year."
"All credit to Leicester - they are a very good side and the holders. We're disappointed but we'll have to come back from this."
Munster:Crotty, Kelly, Henderson, Holland, B. O'Neill, O'Gara, Stringer, P. Clohessy, Sheahan, Hayes, Galwey, O'Connell, Quinlan, Wallace, Foley. Replacements: Horan, Blaney, J. O'Driscoll, Williams, Prendergast, Mullins, Staunton.
Leicester:Stimpson, Murphy, Smith, Kafer, Tuilagi, Healey, Hamilton, Rowntree, West, Garforth, M. Johnson, Kay, Moody, Back, Corry. Replacements: Cockerill, Freshwater, W. Johnson, Kronfeld, Ellis, Goode, Gelderbloom.
Referee:Joel Jutge (France)