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Treble top Leicester adds European crown to domestic titles
Updated: Saturday May 19, 2001 2:31 PM
PARIS (Reuters) -- Leicester beat Stade Francais 34-30 in a dramatic European Cup final at the Parc des Princes on Saturday after trailing to the remarkable kicking of Diego Dominguez for much of the game. Centre Leon Lloyd crossed for the match-winning try two minutes from the end to clinch victory for the English champion, which lifted the trophy for the first time in its history. Flyhalf Dominguez contributed all the French team's points with nine penalties and a dropped goal, but it was not enough to defeat Leicester, who scored the game's three tries. "To come here against a great Stade Francais side and win in Paris is just great and I thought our fitness told," said Leicester captain Martin Johnson, who also led his team to its third straight English league title this season and victory in the inaugural playoff competition. Stade Francais gave everything in its bid to win the European Cup for the first time and emulate the achievement of French rivals Toulouse and Brive in 1996 and 1997. "We have nothing to be ashamed of, we gave it our all but we made a couple of mistakes and relied only on Diego's fine kicking," Stade hooker Fabrice Landreau said. "The devilish Lloyd with his lightning speed scored two killer tries. We are disappointed but it was a pleasure to play." Dominguez kicked his first penalty after five minutes but Landreau was sin-binned for punching soon afterwards and Leicester fullback Tim Stimpson kicked the resultant penalty and added a second to give the English side an early lead. A second Dominguez penalty was followed immediately by Landreau's return and two more kicks from the Argentine-born Italian international, the second from just inside his own half, put Stade Francais 12-6 ahead. Interval lead Stimpson closed the gap with his third penalty but Dominguez landed a kick from 51 meters to put his side 15-9 ahead at the interval. Leicester, which had lost its only previous European Cup final to Brive four years ago, scored its first try within a minute of the restart. Lloyd chased fellow center Pat Howard's kick through, outpacing the Stade defense to touch down in the corner. Stimpson missed the conversion, leaving Leicester 15-14 behind, but Dominguez failed to increase Stade's lead when he missed his only kick of the match after 46 minutes. Sin bin Johnson was sent to the sin bin for punching and Dominguez kicked two penalties before the England captain returned to the fray, edging Stade 21-14 ahead. Leicester drew level when England flanker Neil Back dived over the line from close range following a quick tap penalty after Lloyd's break had taken his side to within five meters of the French line. Stimpson converted the try and the fullback kicked another penalty after he was tripped by Stade flanker Richard Poole-Jones. Two Dominguez penalties and Stimpson's fifth successful pot at goal tied the game up at 27-27 before the Argentine looked to have clinched victory with a 30-meter dropped goal after 75 minutes. Leicester refused to lie down, though, Healey breaking through the Stade defence to release Lloyd, who touched down in the corner. Leicester became the third English club to win the European Cup in the competition's six-year history after Bath in 1998 and Northampton last year. "I really enjoyed it. We had revenge to take against the French after losing to Brive," Healey said. "Leicester is a small town and we won in such a big city."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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