Leicester hero Jordan Crane has started reflecting on the 'unbelievable feeling' of kicking Leicester into a record-equalling fifth Heineken Cup final.
Crane booked Tigers' trip to Murrayfield on 23 May after a Millennium Stadium encounter that rewrote tournament history.
For the first time since European club rugby's blue riband event began 14 years ago, a penalty shoot-out was required to decide the winner.
Leicester, clawed back from 14 points ahead to 26-26 by an inspired Cardiff Blues revival that saw Jamie Roberts and Tom James score late converted tries, ultimately prevailed.
But only after 16 players each attempted 22-metre kicks from in front of the posts, with number eight Crane's strike securing a sudden death 7-6 success after James and Wales star Martyn Williams had missed for the Blues.
Crane admitted: 'I never thought it was going to carry on all the way to my go, but once it did, I just tried not to worry about the moment.
'The pressure was off me because Martyn Williams had missed his (kick), so I just stepped up and gave it a shot.
'I knew no-one would hold it against me if I missed, but it was an unbelievable feeling to get the winner. It's a great feeling to be going to Edinburgh for the final.'
Tigers prevailed despite having flanker Craig Newby and full-back Geordan Murphy sin-binned, yellow cards that saw 14-man Leicester punished each time through Blues tries.
Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill added: 'We're satisfied with going through, but it's not a nice way to win. It's a bit disappointing to win a game by penalty kicks, but we will take this.
'We have a lot of sympathy for Dai Young and his Cardiff Blues. They've had a great season, and this is a horrible way to lose a big game.'
As for the final, Cockerill said: 'Leinster are obviously a good side because they're in the final. They will think we are lucky to be in the final, and perhaps we are.
'People didn't expect Leicester and Leinster to be in the final, but I thought we both deserved our wins.'
