Johan Goosen try helps Montpellier edge Leicester Tigers to win thrilling Challenge Cup final at Twickenham
ByReuters
Updated 21/05/2021 at 21:53 GMT
Montpellier secured their second title in the European Challenge Cup competition in front of 10,000 supporters at a wet and windy Twickenham on Friday evening. On Saturday, French sides La Rochelle and Toulouse will contest the Champions Cup final at the same Twickenham venue - with fans also in attendance again
Guilhem Guirado of Montpellier lifts the European Rugby Challenge Cup after beating Leicester Tigers, Twickenham Stadium, London, May 21, 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
Centre Johan Goosen finished off an excellent team try as Montpellier overcame a forward pounding to edge Leicester Tigers 18-17 in the final of the European Challenge Cup at Twickenham on Friday.
Wet conditions in the English capital ensured it would be forward-based tactical battle with the boot, but when Montpellier finally decided to keep the ball in hand they were rewarded with Goosen’s decisive score to go with an earlier try from wing Vincent Rattez.
Leicester were much the better in the set-piece and used their powerful maul to score two tries and force two yellow cards from their opponents, who played for 20 minutes with 14 men, as lock Harry Wells and number eight Jasper Wiese barged over from close-range.
Montpellier secured their second title in the competition in front of 10,000 supporters.
On Saturday, French sides La Rochelle and Toulouse will contest the Champions Cup final at the same venue.
"We're very pleased to work really hard in a tough season and come away with a trophy," Goosen told BT Sport. "We've got a hell of a group here who work very hard so it's awesome to win this. We tried to approach this one by playing with no fear."
Montpellier struck the first major blow as Rattez showed some neat footwork to dribble a grubber-kick towards the try-line and then dive on the ball ahead of Leicester centre Matías Moroni. But Leicester were dominant in the maul and following a fourth penalty after repeated infringements, referee Andrew Brace sent Montpellier number eight Alexandre Becognee to the sin-bin.
The English side immediately used their pack again for another driving maul that ended in a try for Wells and a 10-10 scoreline at half-time.
Leicester turned down three kickable penalties in favour of their maul, which led to more infringements, a yellow card for Montpellier captain Guilhem Guirado and a try for Wiese.
Scrum-half Benoit Paillaugue landed a penalty, before a rare attack with their backs from the French side resulted in a second team try via Goosen, after excellent breaks by replacement wing Gabriel N'Gandebe and centre Jan Serfontein.
"We haven't been in a final for eight years, but we got here and we feel like we've moved forward a lot," Leicester captain Tom Youngs said. "We came here to win of course and I felt like everyone gave everything they had out there. We'll learn from this and we'll keep going.
"Everyone knows what we've been through in recent years as a club and there were some young boys out there tonight who will grow immensely from this experience."
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