Stade Francais/Munster: Stade hold their nerve to book final slot

Stade Francais kept their nerve in a desperate second half to edge into the Heineken Cup Final with a 16-15 victory over Munster.

Last year's beaten finalists Munster, 16-6 adrift at the interval, gnawed away at their hosts lead but were unable to repeat their semi-final victory on French soil 12 months ago, leaving Stade Francais to contemplate a 'home' final against English opposition.

Neither side could keep possession for long enough to stab any control on the game.

Stade Francais' strident scrum tore apart the back row and scrum-half Peter Stringer had a nightmare trying to keep the ball at the feet of his forwards.

Opposing fly-halves Diego Dominguez and Ronan O'Gara exchanged penalties in the opening stages, with Dominguez landing another couple to nose his team into a six point advantage.

The play was indecisive and couldn't have impressed the British Lions selectors in the stands.

The home side grabbed their only - and what turned out to be decisive try - four minutes before the break.

Thomas Lombard started the move with a weaving run from the touchline cutting inside and got the ball away to New Zealander Cliff Mytton who took possession and slid over the line.

Dominguez converted to send the French into a commanding interval lead, but then had to face the Munster backlash.

O'Gara could not turn pressure into points and missed two penalties before converting the third and easiest.

At a crucial stage, with the visitors well on top, John O'Neill crossed, only for his touchdown to be ruled out by touch judge Steve Lander.

O'Gara kept his nerve and booted home another three penalties to bring Munster to within one score but the French always had a spare man to cover in defence.

The game took another turn 10 minutes from time, when Christophe Dominici was sin-binned but Munster still could not breach the home line.

With seconds ticking away, O'Gara opted to land his fifth penalty rather than run the ball but the Irish stand-off was left to rue his decision as the visitors remained a point adrift as the final whistle blew.