Munster began the defence of
their Heineken Cup title in terrific style on Sunday as they won 21-19 at
Leicester in a titanic Pool Four battle.
The showdown between last season's winners and the champions of 2001 and 2002
delivered everything that was expected as Europe's premier club competition
again set the season alight after a month of domestic mediocrity.
Ronan O'Gara was the Munster hero as he landed a 50-metre penalty in the last
few minutes to claim the win after Leicester had briefly edged in front for the
first time.
Munster began impressively and led 15-6 at the break after tries by Donnacha
O'Callaghan and David Wallace.
Leicester improved after the break and the game was thrown wide open 10
minutes from time when the referee ran out of patience as Munster repeatedly
hauled down a dominant Leicester scrum near their line and awarded a penalty
try.
Andy Goode converted to take the hosts to within two points then landed a
long-range penalty three minutes later to put them 19-18 ahead.
The Leicester fans were up to acclaim another famous comeback but their
cheers died in their throats as O'Gara defied the mud and rain -- after escaping
with an unseen knock-on -- to land his long-range shot in injury time.
"It was a great win, we showed good resolve and it was important that we got
our season off to a good start," O'Gara told Sky Sports.
"We've been struggling in our domestic league but I think the Heineken Cup
brings out the best of us," added the Ireland flyhalf.
O'Gara said he definitely knocked on "about four or five feet" before the
tackle that earned the match-winning penalty and also apologised for any offence
caused in the build-up to the match when he questioned the quality of English
rugby.
Leicester coach Pat Howard rued two first-half missed try-scoring
opportunities and said: "We are now in the same situation as Munster were a year
ago when they lost their first game -- there's a long way to go."
Last year's runners-up Biarritz got off to a good start as four tries in the
first 45 minutes earned them a bonus point in a 22-10 win over Northampton in
Pool Six, which mean Wasps were the only one of the six English teams to claim a
win on the opening weekend.
However, Wasps, champions in 2004 but outside the knockout stages in the last
two seasons, only just scraped a 19-13 home success over Castres in Pool One.
The London club also lost back Josh Lewsey to a hamstring injury that could
rule him out of England's opening November international against New Zealand in
two weeks.
"It was ugly but we stuck in there," said Wasps coach Ian McGeechan, who must
have feared a repeat of last year when his side lost their opening game to
Edinburgh.
In Saturday's action there was an upset in Ireland where Ulster thrashed
three-times champions Toulouse 30-3, with all the points coming in the first
half.
It was a great weekend for Wales as the Neath-Swansea Ospreys beat Sale 17-16
when James Cook landed a last-kick conversion of an injury-time Shane Williams
try, Llanelli Scarlets won 32-25 at London Irish and Cardiff won 13-5 at
Bourgoin.
There were also opening wins for Leinster, Agen, Borders, Stade Francais and
Perpignan.
