Leicester and Cardiff through to Heineken semis

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON (Reuters) - Julien Dupuy scored a last-minute try to give Leicester a 20-15 victory over Bath on Saturday to set up a Heineken Cup semi-final with Cardiff Blues, who earlier beat Toulouse 9-6 at the Milliennum Stadium.

With two old English rivals locked at 15-15 at Leicester City's Walkers Stadium and everyone expecting a drop-goal attempt, the French replacement scrumhalf instead broke through the Bath defence to score a superb try.

Leicester, twice winners, and Bath, who lifted the trophy in 1998, battered each other to a standstill in a game that started as a tight battle but ended like a sevens match with both teams throwing the ball around with abandon.

Sam Vesty, a late replacement at flyhalf after Toby Flood was injured in the warm-up, had a great game, landing all five of his penalty attempts.

Bath were always in the game, scoring tries through Shaun Berne and Joe Maddock, but Butch James was not so accurate with his goalkicking and paid a heavy price.

Cardiff Blues gained revenge for defeat by Toulouse at the same stage last season as New Zealander Ben Blair kicked three penalties in a defence-dominated game.

Toulouse were the only French team left in the tournament and their defeat means France will not have a semi-finalist for only the second time in the 14-year history of Europe's premier club competition.

The result also means that England will gain an extra representative in next year's competition, up to seven, at France's expense.