Two tries from Adam Radwan and a defensive effort for the ages helped Leicester Tigers to a five-point, 21-16, victory over Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership Play-off at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
The win sets up a meeting at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with Bath Rugby.
In slippery conditions, both sides opted for early points when on offer, with Handré Pollard making it 3-0 after just seven minutes with a long-range penalty goal before George Ford levelled it up in the 18th with his own three-point contribution.
Despite the rain continuing to fall, there was no lack of intent to attack from either team and, on the 20-minute mark, Tigers - Adam Radwan - had their first try.
After a dominant scrum deep in the Sharks half, Solomone Kata got the side on the front foot from the first phase before Jack van Poortvliet switched play back to the blind with a long, looping pass to Radwan and the fleet-footed speedster did the rest, dancing his way through the cover defence to dive over.
Pollard's conversion attempt went wide, meaning the lead remained at five points.
His first try just the home supporters on their feet, but his second even received plaudits from the visitors sections.
In scenes often reserved for the outfield at Edgbaston, Radwan managed to time his run on the end of a Pollard cross-field kick to perfection and, in one motion, take the ball and then do it down for Leicester's second.
Pollard again went wide with the conversion attempt to mean the difference remained ten points, 13-3, after almost half an hour, where it stayed until the half time break.
The fly-halves were on the scoresheet early in the second half with three points apiece; Ford in the 46th minute and Pollard in the 52nd minute to make it 16-6 with just under half an hour remaining.
Sale then cut the deficit to three points with their first try of the match in the 57th minute, to Rob du Preez, which Ford converted to make it 16-13.
Pollard was sent for a HIA after a late, high tackle on the Leicester fly-half meant Ben Volavola was brought on to pull the strings for the home team and just minutes later, the Sharks then levelled it up, 16-16, with just 15 minutes remaining when Ford landed a third penalty goal.
Izaia Perese, not long on the field, then sent Mattioli Woods Welford Road wild when he was put through a hole by Volavola and showed his turn of pace to get around the last line of Sale's defence to score and make it 21-16.
Pollard passed his HIA and returned to the field in the dying stages, which saw the Sharks throw everything at the Tigers defence. But, the home team, with the help of the home crowd, refused to cave and held on to claim the win and secure a spot in the Gallagher Premiership Final.
Commentary
FULL TIME AT MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD
It's over!
Leicester Tigers defeat Sale Sharks to advance to the Gallagher Premiership final.
Final score: Leicester Tigers 21 - 16 Sale Sharks
78
CLOCK TICKING DOWN
Tigers are hogging possession in the final stages, constant tight lines as the forwards, Kata and Perese bulldoze into contact.
Chesusm gallops through but is stopped just short before, a moment later, a Youngs chip over the top allows Tigers to usher Sale into touch for a dangerous line out on the 22.
Into the final two minutes.
74
ILIONE WINS VITAL TURNOVER
Sale are pushing for the score, piling through rucks and bulldozing over the gainline.
Just five metres out though and Ilione gets over the ball to snuff out the Sale attack and get the crowd on their feet as Tigers clear to halfway.
In an additional boost, Handré Pollard returns from his HIA.
SUBSTITUTIONS | BOTH SIDES
Tom Curry is off for Dan Du Preez and Matt Rogerson is on for Olly Cracknell.
70
CONVERSION MISSED | BEN VOLAVOLA
Volavola shoots wide from the left hand touchline.
TRY | IZAIA PERESE
He's just come on!
Tigers play out the back and the Australian international explodes onto the ball at full tilt, blowing a hole in the Sharks back line.
With Arron Reed chasing back, Perese turns on the afterburners and hurtles to the line, running it in and diving over after starting at halfway.
SUBSTITUTIONS | TIGERS
Ben Youngs comes on for Jack van Poortvliet and Izaia Perese replaces Joe Woodward.
PENALTY | SALE SHARKS
Ford smashes the three points and we're all square.
SUBSTITUTIONS | BOTH SIDES
Si McIntyre replaces Bevan Rodd while Ben Volavola replaces Handré Pollard, who exits for a HIA.
SUBSTITUTION | BOTH SIDES
Both sides trade possession, box kicks and big shots before also sharing substitutes.
Willgriff John and Tom O'Flaherty replace Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Tom Roebuck.
For Tigers, Dan Cole replaces Joe Heyes and Emeka Ilione replaces Tommy Reffell.
TRY | SALE SHARKS
Dogged defence from the hosts keeps the Sharks at bay for a couple of minutes but gives away a penalty in the process.
A second kick to touch sees tight lines ran before Ford goes out the back to Rob Du Preez who goes over under the posts.
PENALTY | POLLARD
At the second time of asking, the Springbok smashes it through.
Leicester earn a second penalty straight away and Polly makes no mistake, reestablishing the 10 point lead.
50
PENALTY MISSED | POLLARD
Pollard boots wide from a good 45 metres out.
Gus Warr jogs on for Raffi Quirke.
49
SCRUM DOMINANCE BACK ON
Tigers go close initially when a kick-pass to Kata is subsequently offloaded but knocked-on by Hassell-Collins in full flight.
The resulting scrum is re-set before Tigers again impose themselves on the Sharks, earning Pollard a shot at goal.
PENALTY | SALE SHARKS
Ford narrows the scores with a simple kick in front of the posts.
Tigers were pinged for Cracknell being offside.
44
SHARKS BITE BACK
Sale force a knock on and we have the first scrum of the second half.
Sale wheel it round well and then break down the left, Arron Reed shooting into space before being chopped down by Radwan and Steward.
Quirke flicks a chip over the top but Woodward covers and the ball is smashed back to halfway.
From here Sale come again and a kick through is diverted from a Leicester player off the field and Sharks have a line out on the 22.
42
EARLY LINE OUT
Sale catch well but an attempted clearance from Raffi Quirke is fired straight out on the full.
As such, it's a Leicester line out just a couple of metres out from the Sharks 22.
SECOND HALF BEGINS
Handré Pollard gets us back underway here at Mattioli Woods Welford Road!
HALF-TIME
Tigers hold a 10 point lead at the break thanks to two sensational tries from Adam Radwan following early penalties from Pollard and Ford.
Breathless action here.
Half time score: Leicester Tigers 13 - 03 Sale Sharks
40
WHISTLE GOES FOR HALF TIME
Steward threatens again with a swerving run, again hauled down just before the line.
Sale are all over the ruck and give away a penalty, kicked to touch a metre out.
The HEAVE chants go up but Sale halt proceedings again. Tigers try to play but a knock on in contact ends a pulsating half.
39
THE CAPTAIN RISES
With Sale in the ascendency and Ford pulling the strings, the visitors search for a late score.
However, Montoya leads from the front and clamps onto that ball to win a huge turnover penalty.
Pollard boots it to touch at the 22 and we have the last play of the half ahead of us.
38
SALE DISRUPT WELL
The line out was threatening but the visitors played spoiler, causing a mess from the maul and halting progress.
The backs try to play wide but are cut off and when coming back the other way Ernst van Rhyn wins an excellent turnover and Sharks clear back to halfway.
35
50.22 KLAXON!
After the insanity of the last 10 minutes, Mattioli Woods Welford Road takes a breath.
Sale have held onto possession for the last 5 minutes but Tigers eventually turn it over, just outside their own 22.
A box kick is hit perfectly from van Poortvliet and the ball tipped back. With Sale in retreat, Pollard booms a boot long and a 50.22 is met with huge cheers.
30
CONVESION MISSED | POLLARD
Another shot from the right touchline goes awry.
TRY | ADAM RADWAN
Incredible scenes here as Tigers HQ explodes!
Steward carves open the Sale defence in midfield and offloads to JVP. The scrum half goes wide to Hassell-Collins who is hauled down just short.
Forwards pile into contact before the ball is eventually shipped out the back to Pollard. He smashes a crossfield kick which looks too far for any human but Radwan is in otherworldly form and at full diving leap collects the ball and dots down as the crowd go wild!
25
ANOTHER SCRUM PENALTY
Smith, Montoya and Heyes are imposing themselves on the Shark pack thus far, yet another scrum penalty won and allowing Pollard to smash a penalty into the Sale half.
21
CONVERSION MISSED | HANDRÉ POLLARD
The Springbok fires wide from the right hand corner.
TRY | ADAM RADWAN
Sensational!
With Tigers playing with advantage from the scrum, van Poortvliet whips it wide to Radwan.
The wing has three players to beat but does so superbly, speeding down the touchline before a double step inside allows him to dive over.
PENALTY | SALE SHARKS
In fact, the visitors opt for the posts and George Ford coolly abides.
From almost forty metres, straight on, Ford slots the three and ties things up.
17
SUCCESSIVE SCRUMS
Ollie Hassell-Collins does his best Freddie Steward impression, leaping impossibly high to claim a lofted ball under huge pressure.
A scrum is called as a penalty is won and Tigers look to have made a mess of it - however, the ball squirts out and van Poortvliet's pass is intercepted to hand the visitors the ball back.
Sale again pile into contact but a double shot from Montoya and Chessum halts momentum, play stopped as Tigers knock on in an attempted intercept.
From there, Sale win a penalty and kick to touch.
12
TURNOVERS APLENTY
Both sides win a big turnover a piece - Tigers begin proceedings, the forwards piling through a ruck out wide and sealing the ball.
From the subsequent penalty - then line out, Kata punches up the middle but Bevan Rodd gets over the ball well and Ford clears play back to halfway.
9
POLLARD PUTS THE PRESSURE ON
After Steward claims the ball superbly under pressure, a phase later Pollard pumps a beautiful long-ranger into the Sale 22, which bounces out and gives the visitors a line out in coffin corner.
They deal with it well before clearing to Steward who runs it back before both sides trade possession and a midfield battle re-commences.
PENALTY | POLLARD
About thirty metres out, next to the left hand touchline, Handré Pollard makes no mistake, smashing the three and earning the first points of the afternoon.
5
EARLY ROAR
From the scrum, 'the iceman' Handré Pollard boots it to halfway before Ollie Chessum nicks the ball against the head to huge cheers.
Tigers go wide and Joe Woodward stabs a grubber through but it just bobbles out and Sale win it back.
They send a couple of runners in before Ford boots high but Steward is infringed in the air and Pollard kicks the penalty to outside the Sale 22.
3
BOTH SIDES BEGIN WITH ERRORS
The visitors win an early line out after Ford's excellent kick off is claimed by Hassell-Collins but the wing is ushered into touch.
Rekeiti Ma'asi-White leads the carries as the Sharks then pile into contact but successive big hits eventually force a knock on from Luke Cowan-Dickie.
First scrum of the game here!
KICK OFF
George Ford gets us underway at Mattioli Woods Welford Road!
-2
IT'S HEATING UP
The fireworks are popping and the pyrotechnics are pulsating as the atmosphere reaches fever pitch.
The two most physical sides in the league are set to go hammer and tongs at one another for a place in the Gallagher Premiership final - you do not want to miss this.
-5
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
Brought out to the tunnel area, the Gallagher Premiership trophy gleams brightly in the emerging sun.
The greatest prize in English club rugby looks spotless as two teams get set to battle for the chance to lift it once again.
Sale are gunning for the second championship, having lifted their first in 2005/06 season, while Tigers look to extend their record number of titles to 12 having last triumphed in 2021/22.
-10
ATMOSPHERE BUILDING HERE
The terrace is fit to bursting as over 20'000 Leicester Tigers file their way into a noisy Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
A packed out Johno's Plaza cheered the lads into the ground at the Plaza Prowl and the volume has only amplified since then.
With the team's read out, their are huge roars as the crowd get behind the team and we edge toward kick off.
-15
VISITING TEAM NEWS
The visitors welcome back England internationals Tom Curry and Tom Roebuck to a side with just one change to the starting XV to the side who visited Mattioli Woods Welford Road in round 16.
That comes in the form of the second Curry, Ben, who joins his brother in the backrow - this move pushes Ernst Van Rhyn into the second row and Ben Bamber onto the bench.
For the full Sale Sharks team news, click here.
-20
TEAM NEWS
There's just three changes from the Leicester Tigers squad that battled Newcastle Falcons last weekend and two changes from the side that defeated Sale at this very ground less than a month ago.
From last week, Adam Radwan replaces Josh Bassett on the wing, whilst Jack van Poortvliet and Joe Heyes replace the soon-to-be-retired legendary duo of Ben Youngs and Dan Cole. As such, it's the same starting XV that downed the Sharks last time out.
The only changes to the 23 from that day come amongst the replacements, with Ben Volavola named in place of Jamie Shillcock and Izaia Perese replaces Dan Kelly.
You can see the full team news by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
-27
NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT?
If you can't make it to Tigers HQ, you can easily follow along live with all the action.
Put the kettle on and get settled on the sofa to watch live on TNT Sports 1 or stick with us right here on Matchday Live for all the updates on what is set to be a storming game of rugby.
-30
HALF AN HOUR TO GO!
There's just 30 minutes till Leicester Tigers battle Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership Play-Off.
There's still time to head down to Mattioli Woods Welford Road and be a part of over 20'000 Tigers fans roaring on your side in knockout rugby - we are set for a cracker here!