Crane recalled the disappointment in the dressing room after losing last season’s final when he described Saturday’s victory as “awesome”.
The Tigers No8 said: “It is awesome to win. After last year, sat in the changing rooms it was all doom and gloom.
“This game could have gone either way but it went our way and it feels awesome.”
Crane scored the only try of the game just after the hour to put Tigers ahead for the first time in the game.
The England international said he was confident he had scored until referee Wayne Barnes referred the try to the television match official, hopes it will silence the mickey takers in the Tigers dressing room.
“I knew that I had scored but I was getting a bit nervous when it went to the video ref,” Crane said.
“Maybe the referee didn’t see if I had grounded it but it was nice for it to be awarded and to put us in the lead.”
He joked: “I get a lot of stick for my pick-and-goes but I think this time they will be thanking me for it!”
Crane praised the Tigers squad after the win, describing at as “a massive boost” as Leicester prepare for this weekend’s Heineken Cup Final against Leinster at Murrayfield.
“We always felt we had enough to win but we were struggling to put our phases together, which we have done in the last 10 weeks or whatever,” he said.
“The way we ground out the result was testament to the squad.
“It is massive for the team and the club and, going into next week, it is a massive boost.”
