2002 Heineken Cup final

September 2021 2002 Heineken Cup Final 2001–02 Heineken Cup Leicester Tigers ENG 30px 15 Munster IRE rugby union 30px 9 25 May 2002 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Joël Jutge (France) 74,600 2001 2003 The 2002 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 Heineken Cup, the seventh season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 25 May 2002 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff; this was the third time the final had been played in Cardiff after the 1996 and 1997 finals, but the first since the opening of the Millennium Stadium, which was built on the site of the old Cardiff Arms Park for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The match was contested by Leicester Tigers of England and Munster of Ireland. Munster were appearing in their second final after losing the 2000 Heineken Cup Final to Northampton Saints. Tigers were the defending champions having beaten Stade Français in the 2001 Heineken Cup Final and were appearing in their third final after losing the 1997 final to Brive. Leicester Tigers won the match 15–9, becoming the first team to successfully defend the trophy.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/european/2008245.stm Tigers retain European Cup 9 March 2002 BBC Sport 3 January 2014 In the first minute, Tigers had a try by Freddie Tuilagi ruled out for illegal blocking on Munster wing John Kelly.http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/41853.html Tigers are Heineken champs once again ESPNscrum 25 May 2002 15 October 2016 Munster took a 3–0 lead from Ronan O'Gara's penalty before Tigers had a second try ruled out inside the first 10 minutes, Martin Johnson had pounced on a Frankie Sheahan over throw but referee Joël Jutge was not ready and the throw re-taken. After 20 minutes O'Gara slotted his second penalty for a 6–0 lead after Lewis Moody had been ruled offside. Geordan Murphy scored Tigers first try after a sweeping break from Tim Stimpson and dummy before finding Murphy to make it 6–5 when the conversion was missed. A scrum penalty against Darren Garforth gave O'Gara his third penalty goal for a 9–5 lead. However, once Harry Ellis, a try scorer in the semi-final, was introduced on 52 minutes, the game swung into Leicester's favour. Tigers turned down kicks at goal in search of the try that came when Austin Healey darted over, Tim Stimpson's conversion gave Leicester a 12–9 lead. O'Gara missed an opportunity to level the scorers, and seconds later Stimpson slotted the last points of the game for a 15–9 final score. More drama was to come, as Munster wing Kelly thought he had scored in the corner, only to be denied by a last-ditch cover tackle by man of the match Healey.http://en.espn.co.uk/europeancup-2008/rugby/story/85691.html Leicester hang on to defend Heineken crown ESPNscrum 25 May 2002 15 October 2016 In the closing moments of the match, Munster had a midfield scrum close to the 5m line in Leicester's half. With the referee distracted on the other side of the scrum, Leicester's openside flanker Neil Back knocked the ball illegally from Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer's hands before the put-in and Leicester won possession and cleared the ball. This incident was dubbed the "Hand of Back" after the match by the press in reference to Argentinian football player Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal scored in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and was named by The Daily Telegraph in 2022 as "rugby's most famous act of gamesmanship". Morgan Charlie Richardson Charles 27 May 2022 Hand of Back: 20 years on from rugby's most famous act of gamesmanship https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/05/27/hand-back-20-years-rugbys-famous-act-gamesmanship/ live The Daily Telegraph London, UK https://archive.today/20231230095340/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/05/27/hand-back-20-years-rugbys-famous-act-gamesmanship/ 30 December 2023 10 May 2024 Match details 25 May 2002 15:00 BST Leicester Tigers ENG 15–9 Report IRE rugby union Munster Murphy 26' m Healey 59' c Stimpson 59' Stimpson 70' O'Gara 7', 20', 49' Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 74,600 Joël Jutge (France) _leicester2002rugbykit _leicester2002rugbykit _leicester2002rugbykit _color_3_stripes_white FFFFFF 004225 Leicester Tigers _navy_hoops _navy_hoops _whitetop CE2029 CE2029 CE2029 FFFFFF CE2029 Munster FB 15ENG Tim StimpsonRW 14IRE rugby union Geordan MurphyOC 13ENG Ollie Smith 78IC 12AUS Rod KaferLW 11SAM Freddie TuilagiFH 10ENG Austin HealeySH 9 ENG Jamie Hamilton 52N8 8 ENG Martin CorryOF 7 ENG Neil BackBF 6 ENG Lewis MoodyRL 5 ENG Ben KayLL 4 ENG Martin Johnson (c)TP 3 ENG Darren GarforthHK 2 ENG Dorian WestLP 1 ENG Graham Rowntree 74Replacements:SH 16 ENG Harry Ellis 52 PR 17 ENG Perry Freshwater 74CE 18 RSA Glenn Gelderbloom 78HK 19 ENG Richard CockerillN8 20 ENG Will JohnsonFL 21 NZL Josh KronfeldFH 22 ENG Andy GoodeCoach:ENG Dean Richards FB 15IRE rugby union Dominic Crotty 66RW 14IRE rugby union John KellyOC 13IRE rugby union Rob Henderson 68IC 12IRE rugby union Jason HollandLW 11IRE rugby union John O'NeillFH 10IRE rugby union Ronan O'GaraSH 9 IRE rugby union Peter Stringer N8 8 IRE rugby union Anthony Foley 53OF 7 IRE rugby union David WallaceBF 6 IRE rugby union Alan QuinlanRL 5 IRE rugby union Paul O'Connell 62LL 4 IRE rugby union Mick Galwey (c)TP 3 IRE rugby union John HayesHK 2 IRE rugby union Frankie Sheahan 18 29LP 1 IRE rugby union Peter Clohessy 61Replacements:HK 16IRE rugby union James Blaney 18 29FL 17AUS Jim Williams 53PR 18IRE rugby union Marcus Horan 61LK 19IRE rugby union Mick O'Driscoll 62FH 20IRE rugby union Jeremy Staunton 66WG 21IRE rugby union Mike Mullins 68SH 22IRE rugby union Mike Prendergast Coach:IRE rugby union Declan Kidney See also 2001–02 Heineken Cup References Final 2002 Category:2001–02 in Irish rugby union Category:2001–02 in Welsh rugby union Category:Sports competitions in Cardiff Category:2001–02 in English rugby union Category:2000s in Cardiff Category:Leicester Tigers matches Category:Munster Rugby matches 2002