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2007 Heineken Cup final
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2007 Heineken Cup final
The 2007 Heineken Cup Final was a rugby union match played at Twickenham Stadium in London, England, on 20 May 2007 to determine the winners of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition. It was contested by English clubs Leicester Tigers and London Wasps. It was the 12th Heineken Cup final overall, and the third to be contested by two teams from the same nation, after the finals of 2003 and 2005, both of which were all-French affairs. It was Leicester's fourth appearance in the final, following a defeat in 1997 and back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002. Wasps were competing in their second final, three years after their last appearance in 2004, also at Twickenham, which was hosting the final for the third time after 2000 and 2004.
Each club needed to progress through the group stage and two knockout rounds to reach the final, playing eight matches in total. Wasps and Tigers each won their respective groups to qualify for the quarter-finals. Wasps advanced to the final after defeating Irish side Leinster in the quarter-finals and fellow English club Northampton Saints in the semi-final. Tigers made the final after wins over French side Stade Français in the quarter-finals and the Llanelli Scarlets Welsh regional side in their semi-final. Alan Lewis was the referee for the match, which was played in front of a crowd of 81,076 – a world record for a club rugby union match – and broadcast worldwide in more than 100 countries.
The first score of the match came from Wasps' Alex King, who kicked a penalty in the 4th minute, but Andy Goode equalised for Tigers with another penalty three minutes later. Wasps went back in front thanks to a try from scrum-half Eoin Reddan in the 13th minute, only for King to miss the conversion. Tigers reduced the deficit to two points with a quarter of an hour gone, when Goode scored his second penalty following an infringement by Fraser Waters on Lewis Moody, but Raphaël Ibañez extended Wasps' lead with their second try in the 34th minute, only for King to again miss the conversion. A third penalty for Goode two minutes from half-time meant Wasps led 13–9 at the interval. In the second half, three penalties and a drop goal from King, unanswered by Leicester, ensured Wasps won the game 25–9 and their second Heineken Cup.
The Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition, was established by the Five Nations Committee in 1995 to provide a new level of professional cross-border rugby competition. Clubs from the Premiership Rugby, Pro14, Super 10 and the Top 14 leagues qualified for the competition based on their performance in their respective national leagues.
The 2007 final was the last match of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup and the 12th final of the Heineken Cup. It was the first time in the competition's 12-year history that two English clubs would play each other in the final. This was London Wasps' second Heineken Cup final and their first since beating Toulouse 27–20 in the 2004 final. Leicester Tigers had conversely appeared in three previous finals, the most recent being the 2002 final when they defeated Munster 15–9. The two sides had met each other in the competition twice before in December 2004. Leicester Tigers had won each of their two meetings in the 2004–05 Heineken Cup pool stage. Tigers won the two fixtures between the two clubs in the 2006–07 Premiership Rugby 19–13 at Adams Park in November 2006 and 40–26 at Welford Road Stadium in April 2007. It was the Tigers' third cup final of the season; they had won the 2006–07 EDF Energy Cup and the 2006–07 Premiership Rugby. This meant that the club were aiming to achieve the first treble in English rugby union history.
The 2006–07 Heineken Cup featured 24 teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy who were assigned into six groups of four each. Teams were awarded four points for a win, two for a draw and bonuses were given to clubs scoring four of more tries or losing by seven or fewer points. The winners of each of the six groups as well as the two highest-placed runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals. The four quarter-final winners made the semi-finals which decided the two teams who would face each other in the final.
Wasps were assigned to the first pool along with Benetton Treviso, Castres and Perpignan. Wasps won their first match 19–16 at home at Adams Park on 21 October 2006, but were defeated 19–12 by Perpignan in their first away fixture of the pool at Stade Aimé Giral a week later. The club's third pool match saw them whitewash Treviso 55–0 in poor weather at Adams Park on 10 December 2006 with a Heineken Cup club-record nine tries and five conversions. The result gave Wasps enough points to usurp Castres atop the pool table. The return fixture at Stadio Comunale di Monigo six days later saw Wasps defeat Treviso 71–5 with a club-record eleven tries and eight conversions to go one point atop the pool table ahead of Perpignan. Wasps' fifth pool game saw the club beating Perpignan 22–14 at Adams Park and needing to win their final match to qualify for the knockout stages. They were able to reach the quarter-finals in their final pool game with a 16–13 victory over Castres at Stade Pierre-Antoine one week later.
In the quarter-finals, Wasps were drawn to play Leinster and the match was played at Adams Park on 31 March 2007. Wasps made but ultimately withdrew a request to host the match at a larger ground so they could receive more gate receipts. Two Alex King penalties and one conversion and Eoin Reddan's try gave Wasps the lead. Chris Whitaker's try and Felipe Contepomi's try and conversion for Leinster made it 13–10 to Wasps at half-time. Second-half tries from James Haskell, Daniel Cipriani and Reddan as well as a penalty and conversion from King ensured Wasps won the match 35–13 to make the semi-finals. In the semi-final, played at Ricoh Arena on 22 April 2007, Wasps faced fellow Premiership Rugby side Northampton Saints. A try, conversion and two penalties all scored by Bruce Reihana put Saints 13–0 ahead before Wasps won the match 30–13 and progression to the final with scoring by Paul Sackey, Haskell, Mark van Gisbergen and Josh Lewsey.
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2007 Heineken Cup final
The 2007 Heineken Cup Final was a rugby union match played at Twickenham Stadium in London, England, on 20 May 2007 to determine the winners of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition. It was contested by English clubs Leicester Tigers and London Wasps. It was the 12th Heineken Cup final overall, and the third to be contested by two teams from the same nation, after the finals of 2003 and 2005, both of which were all-French affairs. It was Leicester's fourth appearance in the final, following a defeat in 1997 and back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002. Wasps were competing in their second final, three years after their last appearance in 2004, also at Twickenham, which was hosting the final for the third time after 2000 and 2004.
Each club needed to progress through the group stage and two knockout rounds to reach the final, playing eight matches in total. Wasps and Tigers each won their respective groups to qualify for the quarter-finals. Wasps advanced to the final after defeating Irish side Leinster in the quarter-finals and fellow English club Northampton Saints in the semi-final. Tigers made the final after wins over French side Stade Français in the quarter-finals and the Llanelli Scarlets Welsh regional side in their semi-final. Alan Lewis was the referee for the match, which was played in front of a crowd of 81,076 – a world record for a club rugby union match – and broadcast worldwide in more than 100 countries.
The first score of the match came from Wasps' Alex King, who kicked a penalty in the 4th minute, but Andy Goode equalised for Tigers with another penalty three minutes later. Wasps went back in front thanks to a try from scrum-half Eoin Reddan in the 13th minute, only for King to miss the conversion. Tigers reduced the deficit to two points with a quarter of an hour gone, when Goode scored his second penalty following an infringement by Fraser Waters on Lewis Moody, but Raphaël Ibañez extended Wasps' lead with their second try in the 34th minute, only for King to again miss the conversion. A third penalty for Goode two minutes from half-time meant Wasps led 13–9 at the interval. In the second half, three penalties and a drop goal from King, unanswered by Leicester, ensured Wasps won the game 25–9 and their second Heineken Cup.
The Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition, was established by the Five Nations Committee in 1995 to provide a new level of professional cross-border rugby competition. Clubs from the Premiership Rugby, Pro14, Super 10 and the Top 14 leagues qualified for the competition based on their performance in their respective national leagues.
The 2007 final was the last match of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup and the 12th final of the Heineken Cup. It was the first time in the competition's 12-year history that two English clubs would play each other in the final. This was London Wasps' second Heineken Cup final and their first since beating Toulouse 27–20 in the 2004 final. Leicester Tigers had conversely appeared in three previous finals, the most recent being the 2002 final when they defeated Munster 15–9. The two sides had met each other in the competition twice before in December 2004. Leicester Tigers had won each of their two meetings in the 2004–05 Heineken Cup pool stage. Tigers won the two fixtures between the two clubs in the 2006–07 Premiership Rugby 19–13 at Adams Park in November 2006 and 40–26 at Welford Road Stadium in April 2007. It was the Tigers' third cup final of the season; they had won the 2006–07 EDF Energy Cup and the 2006–07 Premiership Rugby. This meant that the club were aiming to achieve the first treble in English rugby union history.
The 2006–07 Heineken Cup featured 24 teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy who were assigned into six groups of four each. Teams were awarded four points for a win, two for a draw and bonuses were given to clubs scoring four of more tries or losing by seven or fewer points. The winners of each of the six groups as well as the two highest-placed runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals. The four quarter-final winners made the semi-finals which decided the two teams who would face each other in the final.
Wasps were assigned to the first pool along with Benetton Treviso, Castres and Perpignan. Wasps won their first match 19–16 at home at Adams Park on 21 October 2006, but were defeated 19–12 by Perpignan in their first away fixture of the pool at Stade Aimé Giral a week later. The club's third pool match saw them whitewash Treviso 55–0 in poor weather at Adams Park on 10 December 2006 with a Heineken Cup club-record nine tries and five conversions. The result gave Wasps enough points to usurp Castres atop the pool table. The return fixture at Stadio Comunale di Monigo six days later saw Wasps defeat Treviso 71–5 with a club-record eleven tries and eight conversions to go one point atop the pool table ahead of Perpignan. Wasps' fifth pool game saw the club beating Perpignan 22–14 at Adams Park and needing to win their final match to qualify for the knockout stages. They were able to reach the quarter-finals in their final pool game with a 16–13 victory over Castres at Stade Pierre-Antoine one week later.
In the quarter-finals, Wasps were drawn to play Leinster and the match was played at Adams Park on 31 March 2007. Wasps made but ultimately withdrew a request to host the match at a larger ground so they could receive more gate receipts. Two Alex King penalties and one conversion and Eoin Reddan's try gave Wasps the lead. Chris Whitaker's try and Felipe Contepomi's try and conversion for Leinster made it 13–10 to Wasps at half-time. Second-half tries from James Haskell, Daniel Cipriani and Reddan as well as a penalty and conversion from King ensured Wasps won the match 35–13 to make the semi-finals. In the semi-final, played at Ricoh Arena on 22 April 2007, Wasps faced fellow Premiership Rugby side Northampton Saints. A try, conversion and two penalties all scored by Bruce Reihana put Saints 13–0 ahead before Wasps won the match 30–13 and progression to the final with scoring by Paul Sackey, Haskell, Mark van Gisbergen and Josh Lewsey.
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