A 77th minute try from Dan Hipkiss handed Leicester a 33-27 win over Saracens and the English Premiership title here at Twickenham on Saturday.
In a dramatic finale centre Hipkiss barrelled over to give Leicester a second successive Premiership just seconds after fly-half Glen Jackson had given Saracens the lead.
Saracens have never been in a Premiership final -- and had not played a Twickenham final since 1998 -- and in the end their inability to close out a big game counted against them.
Leicester's Louis Deacon was penalised for coming in on the wrong side with four minutes left. Jackson converted the chance to put the Londoners 27-26 in front.
But twice former European champions Leicester are masters at pinching big games and when Saracens let their attention wonder briefly, seconds after Jackson's kick, they were made to pay.
Leicester coach Richard Cockerill said a change in his team's personnel -- notably with the loss of Bath-bound Lewis Moody, Ben Kay, Sam Vesty and Johne Murphy -- would not alter the club's pursuit of trophies.
"I would love Lewis to stay at Leicester but it is a professional game and we have a salary cap and things move on," said Cockerill.
"But we are moving to another group. Leicester have lost Martin Johnson, we've lost Neil Back, we've lost Dean Richards but we work hard and move on.
"For us to win back-to-back titles... you have got to give the players huge credit."
Saracens assistant coach Mark McCall said the absence of head coach Brendan Venter, serving an RFU ban, was not to blame for their defeat.
"All the important decisions were taken in the week but it was a great shame he was not allowed to be here," said McCall.
"We want to be playing in big games like this and be successful year on year. We are very disappointed to lose like that but we have come a long way this season."
Saracens were first out of the blocks with a Jackson penalty after three minutes but Toby Flood soon levelled it for Leicester, in their sixth consecutive final.
The game came alive in the 14th minute, however, when Matt Smith was put away for the first try only to see Marius Joubert, Saracens captain for the day, touching down after good work from Jacques Burger.
Ben Youngs, one of England's brightest junior players, and on his way to Australia on the senior tour on Monday, then made his mark by outwitting Steve Borthwick for Leicester's second try.
Borthwick was playing his first game since March and will not be on England duty in Australia and New Zealand but Saracens played him to bring his line-out expertise to the showpiece game.
But the Saracens line-out was second best all day and Borthwick was replaced after 45 minutes and it was left to his replacement as captain, for the day, Ernst Joubert to close the gap.
Joubert went over for this second try - after flanker Andy Saull and centre Adam Powell had manufactured the opening to Leicester with a slender two-point lead.
The fact that Saracens were even competitive at this stage of the season and the match was a testament to their coach Brendan Venter, who was banned from Twickenham for this match after failing in last week's appeal for his punishment following a recent fracas, at Leicester.
Venter was watching the game at home as Leicester's front row turned the screw and the Saracens pack started to concede penalties.
Flood made the most of one of those opportunities to give Leicester a 26-21 lead but Saracens playmaker Jackson narrowed that to 26-24 with a 40-metre effort from the left-hand touchline and his later effort was to give his team a narrow lead.
But Hipkiss and the tenacity of the Leicester side ensured that Saracens came away with nothing.
Copyright 2010  AFP Global Edition
