The fourteenth Heineken Cup final will be contested between first time finalists Leinster and fifth time finalists Leicester Tigers after they both beat the odds at the semi-final stage.

The all-Ireland semi-final was only supposed to go one way - and that was the way of the defending champions and newly crowned Magners League winners Munster, but, Leinster put in the performance of a lifetime to keep their dream alive.

And Leicester Tigers were playing the form team in Europe in their home city. Not many had given them a chance of stopping the Blues'12 game winning streak in cup rugby this season. Toulouse had tried and failed in the quarter-final at the same venue a few weeks before and Gloucester had tumbled at Twickenham eight days earlier as Cardiff were crowned EDF champions.

The semi-final played out all that is incredible about the 15-man game. The Tigers dominated for 70 minutes, but lost two men to the sin-bin as their defense became desperate. The Blues showed all that has been good about them this season. Pure Welsh flair. Two tries of the finest style were converted from the touchline by Ben Blair. It forced a draw and after extra time the scores were still locked. It took a 7-6 penalty shoot out win finished by Jordan Crane to send the Tigers to Scotland and a shot at their third European crown.

This season has shown that Leicester are as strong as they ever were, they are contesting their fifth successive Guinness Premiership final and, under Richard Cockerill, they have remembered the Leicester spirit of old but added a southern-hemisphere running game to match anyone.

And their opposition this season is quite simply on a mission. Leinster tire of being the only Irish province never to lift the silver trophy that represents the zenith of club rugby.

They have been so close, so many times. Four times beaten semi-finalists, and now a shot at the big prize. It is a moment many in the squad have been waiting for for many a year.

The stage is set, the home of Scottish rugby is almost sold out. May 23 is marked in everyone's dairy. The fourteenth season of European rugby will draw to a close at approximately 5.50, unless there is a repeat of that famous epic semi final. Only time will tell as the two best teams in the tournament tussle to become the Heineken Cup champions.