The Leicester era appears to be limping to a close. After so many championships and European Cups they are in danger of finishing the season with no silverware at all. Their last hope is reaching the English league play-offs and that is by no means certain.
Yesterday they were lucky to come second to a Munster side that did to Leicester what Leicester have done to so many other teams. The Irish squeezed and squeezed until Leicester could take it no longer. "It is not that we have lost in the European Cup, it's the manner in which we lost," admitted their director of rugby, Dean Richards.
From the first day of the season, when they were beaten by Leeds, life has been difficult for Leicester and much of the problem has revolved around finding a settled pairing at half-back.
Yesterday was no different as Austin Healey, one game back from an Achilles tendon injury, and Tom Tierney tried to give the game some shape with the limited possession Leicester were getting. Healey wondered recently whether his career would have been more successful had he not wandered over the field looking for a position to fill. Yesterday he appeared to be still wondering, and there were mutterings among the Leicester coaching staff about a couple of missed tackles. His jack-in-the-box style of play may be fine when Leicester are on top but, when it is attritional, he seems to run out of ideas. It was such a moment of dithering that eventually led to his departure with an injured knee.
Healey was halfway through a ponderous scissors movement with Leon Lloyd in the 66th minute when hit from behind by Rob Henderson. Healey cannoned off Lloyd and both Leicester men spent two minutes on the ground wondering what hit them.
Healey had already been given a masterclass by Ronan O'Gara, who came to Welford Road with something to prove. For 60 minutes yesterday he was content to play the tactical game. Only once did O'Gara attempt a break and that was after he had checked with the referee, Nigel Williams, that there were only 90 seconds of the first half to play and that Leicester had no time to counter-attack.
But, as the game went into the fourth quarter, a new O'Gara emerged. Again and again he prompted his midfield to look for gaps in the defence. When they found one he was on hand to take the final pass from Alan Quinlan to roll over the line and regain the lead.
Seven minutes later he broke himself from the halfway line. He made 20 metres before shifting the ball to Henderson who found Mike Mullins, Quinlan and finally Peter Stringer for the try that made the game safe.
That moment brought sweet retribution for last year's final.
