Cardiff Blues defeated hosts London Wasps 18-15 in the European Challenge Cup semi-final on Saturday to set up a final clash against Toulon.
Blues will face the big-spending French side at Marseille's Stade Velodrome on May 23 after holding their nerve to win a tense tie at Adams Park in Wycombe, north-west of London, and reach their first European final since the inaugural European Cup in 1996.
"It was a game that guts was going to win, not panache and fleshy stuff," Cardiff number eight Xavier Rush told the BBC.
"We had to be quite patient as it didn't just come for us. I thought we played more of the rugby.
"Discipline and a few scrummaging issues cost us all our points, but it wasn't looking like they would break us open or cut us to ribbons.
"We've made the final now so we will go down there and enjoy the occasion."
Wasps director of rugby Tony Hanks said the Blues deserved credit for their performance.
"We gave them a couple of soft penalties but they took their chances and a try count of 2-0 suggests they probably deserved to win. Their senior players really stepped up," he said.
"We were quite controlled and played smart in the first half. But we just didn't have enough of the ball and lacked field position to launch any meaningful attacks.
"I can't fault the effort. We wanted to respond after last week's defeat and we were desperate to make the final. It is a pretty empty feeling right now and we have got to make sure we learn from this.
"We have shown this season we can compete with the best, we just need to be a bit more consistent across the 80 minutes."
Cardiff had to play the last 10 minutes with 14 men after Scott Andrews was sin-binned.
Wing Leigh Halfpenny scored a first-half try for Cardiff but Wasps built a 9-8 lead at the interval thanks to three penalties from Dave Walder.
Wasps were reduced to 14 men when Simon Shaw, having been warned twice in the first half, was sin-binned. Halfpenny missed the long-range penalty attempt but the Blues soon took full advantage of the extra man.
Cardiff launched a powerful lineout drive, pushing Wasps' seven-man pack backwards before prop Gethin Jenkins burrowed over the line to earn the Blues a vital lead.
Walder kept Wasps in touch with his fifth penalty before Andrews was sin-binned.
Wasps had a chance to force extra-time when Walder stepped up for another penalty, but this time he missed for the first time in the match and Cardiff were able to celebrate at last.
On Friday, England's Jonny Wilkinson scored 14 points and Mafileo Kefu crossed for a try as Toulon won 19-12 at Irish side Connacht in the other semi-final.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
