By Ian Birks
February 2 2004

Leicester Tigers crashed out of the 2004 Heineken European Cup on Friday evening after Stade Francais took the final pool game by 26 points to 13. Veteran Diego Dominguez who will turn 38 in April showed the way with a characteristic kicking display and last minute try.
With the lack of an experienced full back at 15, the visitors chose to pound the back line witha constant barrage of high balls: a tactic that paid dividends as one after another, the Tigers either failed to catch or kick effectively

Tigers scored two tries in the first half, first from Harry Ellis and then from Ollie Smith, but the real story or the night was the difference in kicking. Leicester failed to convert five out of their six conversion , penalty attempts from four different kickers!

Ellis scored in the twelfth minute after the Tigers broke out of their 22 and Booth almost took the ball to the visitors 5 metre line. After a further drive, Ellis was on hand to dive over the line. Booth failed to convert with his second attempt of the evening from out near the touch line.

Dominguez kept the visitors in touch with a perfect kicking display but Leicester scored their second try after a speculative high ball from Van der Westhuyzen was gathered by the South African number 10 and passed to Smith who ran in unopposed.

France winger Christophe Dominici was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous challenge on Myring but it was during this period that Stade score their first try.

Scored on the stroke of half-time, the visitors battered away at Leicester's line with a series of forward drives and just as it seemed the Tigers had overcome the danger, skipper David Auradou piled over. The try was awarded by referee, Allain Rolland, despite the ball carrier clearly running into his own man!

The second half started with Leicester 13-10 down. Dominguez continued to kick the points from the home side's indiscretions, with only a Van der Westhuyzen penalty to show for their efforts.

The final indignity came from a lose pass from Freddie in the dying minutes of the game. Again, it was Dominguez who was on hand to intercept the pass and run in unopposed under the posts. He converted his own try to take the final score to 26-13 to the visitors, giving Stade Francais the top spot in
Pool 1 and automatic progression into the final eight.

The French side also dominated the line out and scrummage. We know from experience that Stade Francais are very strong in the line out, but to lose so comprehensively in this department with an England hooker throwing to two England lock forwards, arguably the best 4/5 pairing in the world was, to say the least, disappointing.