- Leicester 17-18 Montpellier
- French side win European Challenge Cup at Twickenham
Leicester’s wait for another major title goes on after Johan Goosen’s second-half try for Montpellier inflicted the narrowest of defeats but the Tigers displayed enough defiance in defeat to suggest it may not be too much longer. Leicester gave their more heralded opponents an almighty run for their money with a performance built on forward power that their illustrious predecessors would have been proud of.
They scored classic forwards tries through Harry Wells and Jasper Wiese but ultimately came up short against Philippe Saint-Andre’s side in their first major final for eight years. The frustration will be that they did enough to win the match and a little bit more ice in the veins would surely have seen them home and earned tangible proof of the improvements made in Steve Borthwick’s first full season in charge. It was not always pretty to watch – certainly this side has its limitations – but victory was agonisingly within their grasp. “We have to be very proud of everyone and the way the team attacked that game,” said Borthwick. “We got ourselves in a position to win it, but didn’t – that is a positive that we came so close. We are disappointed, but at the same time proud.”
