Resolute Racing edge Tigers

Former All Blacks flyhalf Carter kicked 11 points after Racing captain Maxime Machenaud crossed early on for a try at Nottingham City's Ground.

Johannes Goosen's long-distance penalty seven minutes from time, after the South African centre returned from a head assessment, put Racing two scores in front.

Leicester wing Telusa Veainu's converted try late on set up a grandstand finish but ultimately the Tigers, who had made the short journey across the East Midlands from their Welford Road base, paid the price for too many knock-ons.

Racing will now face another English club in Premiership leaders Saracens – who beat them with a last-minute penalty in last season's quarterfinals – when they contest their first major European final in Lyon on May 14.

"It's an amazing achievement. This competition was a big part of the reason I wanted to come and play in France. We knew it would come down to the last minute because Leicester are a quality side, very fit.

"Winning the final would be a dream come true. Saracens are a quality side, the form side of the tournament, but I'm looking forward to it," Carter said.

Best known as the home of Nottingham Forest football club, the City Ground was staging its second major European rugby semifinal, with Tim Stimpson's last-ditch 58-metre penalty sealing Leicester's 13-12 win over Llanelli in 2002.

Racing, who stopped French rivals Toulon's dreams of a fourth successive European crown in the quarterfinals, were in the last four of the tournament for the first time. Yet with a wealth of international stars at their disposal, Racing didn't lack big-game experience and they opened the scoring in just the third minute.

Two powerful charges by former All Blacks wing Joe Rokocoko saw him shake off some lacklustre Leicester tackles. From the ensuing close-range ruck, France scrumhalf Machenaud burrowed over for a try that flyhalf Carter converted.

Goosen then missed a long-range penalty before Carter's snap drop-goal attempt went wide. The Tigers enjoyed a spell of concerted pressure but excellent Racing defence, led by several powerful tackles from former All Blacks back row forward Chris Masoe, kept them at bay.

Having absorbed that pressure, Racing won a 25-metre penalty which Carter kicked to put them 10-0 up in the 20th minute. Leicester flyhalf Freddie Burns' penalty then reduced Racing's lead to seven points.

Burns's subsequent break helped Leicester advance but the stand-off suffered a knee injury in the process and hobbled off soon afterwards. Replacement Owen Williams then kicked a 37th minute penalty with his first touch of the match.

However, there was still time left in the half for Leicester to concede a penalty on the edge of their 22, after World Cup Final referee Nigel Owens spotted lock Dom Barrow handling in a ruck, and Carter restored Racing's seven-point lead.

Leicester though forced a scrum penalty early in the second half which Williams kicked to bring the Tigers within four points. The scrum was an eagerly contested area and when Leicester and England prop Dan Cole gave away a penalty, Carter made no mistake from 35 metres in the 50th minute.

Nevertheless Leicester, playing the more 'open' rugby that has become their hallmark under the guidance of coach Aaron Mauger, continued to attack from deep with Tonga international Veainu testing the Racing defence.

It appeared Leicester's carelessness in repeatedly knocking-on had been punished by a try from Goosen but Owens, after consulting replays, disallowed the score for a forward pass by Masoe to Machenaud earlier in the move.

But there was no denying Goosen when he landed an excellent penalty from 45 metres out on the left in the 73rd minute. Leicester kept coming and Australia centre Peter Betham found Adam Thompstone on the overlap and the replacement's inside pass released Veainu for a try converted by Williams.

But it was too little too late for the Tigers.

Man of the match: Telusa Veainu was dangerous whenever he had the ball and scored a well deserved try while Peter Betham did well to keep his side going forward. Joe Rokocoko showed he still has plenty of gas in the tank as he left his opponents for dead on more than one occasion.  Maxime Machenaud set the tone in the early stages while Daniel Carter's reliable boot was on song yet again. Johan Goosen proved he should still be in the running for a Springbok return with great defensive covering and a massive boot off the tee but our vote goes to the man who was literally everywhere and put in a massive defensive effort, Racing No.8 Chris Masoe.

Scorers:

For Leicester Tigers:

Try: Veainu

Con: Williams

Pens: Burns, Williams 2

For Racing 92:

Try: Machenaud

Con: Carter

Pens: Carter 3, Goosen

Teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait (captain), 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Peter Betham, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Opeti Fonua, 7 Lockey McCaffrey, 6 Michael Fitzgerald, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Dom Barrow, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Logovi'i Mulipola, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Ed Slater, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Adam Thompstone.

Racing 92: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Johan Goosen, 12 Alexandre Dumoulin, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Maxime Machenaud (captain), 8 Chris Masoe, 7 Bernard le Roux, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Francois van der Merwe, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Virgile Lacombe, 1 Eddy Ben Lacombe.

Replacements: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Khatchik Vartanov, 18 Luc Ducalcon, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Antonie Claassen, 21 Mike Phillips, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Louis Dupichot.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

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