However its a win or bust game and I settle down to 'watch' it on the ESPN on line coverage (sportsnet or something like that) which gives a text commentary and a picture of the pitch showing all the efforts on goal. It's a great start for Shrewsbury and we appear to dominate the first half with 9 shots almost all on target, scoring twice. Dagenham meanwhile are hardly showing their previously great home form with only a couple of off target shots. The second half is a different story with Dagenham having something like 20 goal attempts, many on target, but luckily they only get one goal and Shrewsbury make the playoffs for promotion

[EDITOR] Tom - you're talking about the wrong sport AGAIN 

[Tom] Oh OK, moving on

I rush out of the house to get down to the pub for the rugby. I make the Gateway with 5 minutes to spare, but it seems that they no longer have Sky.

A very brisk walk across town and I arrive in the Salmon missing only a couple of minutes. It's a terrific game with a fantastic defensive performance by Leinster who thoroughly deservedly beat Munster by three tries to nil and advances to their first European Cup Final. I really liked the way they had sold the ticket at Croke where they managed to get a great checker board effect in the stands with the different blocks of Leinster and Munster fans.

[Editor] Tom - that's the wrong game

{Tom] Oh OK, moving on

Next day and I'm up nice and early for the trip to Cardiff. Like most other people we're travelling down by car, and I've been told that we are leaving after nine o'clock. After wearing a hole in the carpet pacing up and down waiting for the lift, checking the phone for messages, the guys finally arrive and we're off. It doesn't start well when the drive says that the car has an engine problem and sometimes it cuts out!  Oh God, we're going to miss the game, its all going horribly wrong. However the journey passes without problem, and we go and park in our usual place and head into the Mochyn Du for beer and food, both of which are fine. As usual we have people sitting in many different places so we head down to the ground in small groups and I arrive at my seat to find nearby are the bunch of Tigers fans that I first met in Treviso - a quick chorus of "All I want is a team of Julian Whites" instantly starts and we're almost ready for the game.

[EDITOR] - finally

I'm hoping that yesterday's great performances by the teams wearing blue won't be repeated, and the game starts. Tigers start well and are looking by far the more dangerous team, but thanks to some missed kicks by Dupuy, and no misses by the Blues kickers Cardiff took an early lead 12-10. This had followed a try under the posts from Hamilton after a couple of good breaks by each team that were repulsed by good, if slightly desperate looking tackling. It should be said that I would have expected Dupuy to get a better return from his kick, which although not easy, we well within his normal capability. Halfpenny kicking the long kicks for Cardiff seemed to have no problems. The penalty that gave Cardiff the lead had come from an offside straight from the kick off after their third penalty. I couldn't see from my position near the corner, but I have seen what seems like hundreds of kick off from the middle of the terrace, and I don't think that there has been one penalty given. Typically we get pulled up for it in the biggest match of the season so far. However the Blues soon give Dupuy another chance and we regain the lead that we hold until half time.

We're ahead but not by as much as I think out play deserves, and I'm worried that the missed penalties might come back to hurt us. However on with the second half and again its the Tigers on top and Geordan crosses under the posts to extend the lead. Dupuy seems to have found his range and more attacks lead to more penalties and the lead is extended to 26-12. It's surely all over apart from he shouting, but no. The referee sees Newby killing the ball, and give him a 10-minute rest, when it looked from my viewpoint that he was on side and on his feet at the time. However it had come after a period of good Cardiff pressure so it may have been a cumulative effect. Its getting tense now, and the sun has just move round to blind my viewpoint. Cardiff reject the simple three points and go for the jugular. I think with almost 20 minutes left they should have taken the three, but these decisions are always a close call. Terrific tacking by the Tigers kept the Blues at bay and a turnover meant we cleared the immediate danger. However down a man meant that the Blues could quickly regain their position camped on the Tigers line. This time Geordan dived forward with what looked by both hands trying for an interception. Unfortunately he knocked it on and I thought the referee was very harsh in sending him to join Newby on the sidelines. However I've not seen replay so it may well have been worse than I thought. Oh no we're playing rugby league - We have about 5 minutes before we at least get one player back, surely we can't keep them out. The 5 minutes drags to about 8 as Cardiff keep the ball alive, but finally Newby get back onto the pitch. That's it, it's all over now, if thirteen men can keep them out, certainly fourteen will. But no, the Tigers seem to relax slightly and the Blues pounce to score in the corner. I'm still not too worried as it's a tricky conversion, but the Cardiff kicks just keep sailing between the posts and the lead is down to 7. Surely we can still survive, but the game takes yet another twist when some tired Tigers can't stop the Blues scoring in the same corner. A good chase by Harry made the conversion difficult, but again Blair split the posts, and it was extra time.  I think we need to get the supporters more organised for the crucial kicks by opponents so I suggest from now on everyone on the dug out side blows and everyone of the opposite side sucks. Meanwhile people behind the post, should clearly blow it its at their end. That should help keep those kicks away from the posts :-) Of course we must all keep silent while doing this.

Lots of frantic programme reading follows while everyone checks the rules.

This proves much harder than you'd think, as it appears to suggest 10 minutes of extra time, followed by 5 penalty kicks each ending with a toss of a coin. After much ranting about stupidity, some reads them again very carefully and we decide that it actually means that the end that the kicks will be taken will be chosen by coin toss. Much relief all round.

I'm convinced that the Blues will win now, our players all looked really tired after 80 minutes with the late frantic defending, but surprisingly we start well and are again the better team. Twice I think we've broken through for tries, but as it was all at the other end we were not as close as I'd thought and the Blues held out. Cardiff also threatened briefly, and extra time ended rather tamely with neither side really wanting to commit too much to attack in case of a breakaway.

So it's the first ever penalty kick competition. Most people are trying to guess who our five chosen ones will be, but I don't think anyone got it correct. Fortunately the sun has moved round and my vision is restored.

Eventually the kicks start, and it seems that all the kicks are to be in front of the posts from the 22-metre line. We weren't sure about this either, some people suggested that later kicks might have be taken from nearer the touchline, but apparently that's only in IRB competitions like the world cup. Its yet another example of rugby shooting itself in the foot IMHO. Even it it's a poor way of deciding the game at least have every competition using the same rules.

Onwards with the kicks, Cardiff keep slotting theirs right down the middle and the Tigers are matching them despite a slightly dodgy connection from Geordan. I'm watching our penalties on the screen because I can't see at all if the ball is through the post or not from my viewpoint. Foolishly I change this and watch Johne kick his live, and it sails wide. I was please to see that many of the players rushed over to console him after the miss. We're out, the Blues haven't looked like missing a kick all day, but we live to fight another day as the Cardiff winger misses badly, hooking it right of the posts. I actually thought it was through when some people started cheering, but it turned out to be Tigers fans much to my relief. After this my eyes never move from the screen while a Tiger is kicking. The welsh scrum half kicked the worst penalty I think I've ever seen, but somehow it struggles over inside the post. After that lucky kick it's got to be their day, but Newby stands up and slots the equaliser. Now Martyn Williams comes up - if there was one man on the pitch I knew would score it was him.

However for once the great player made a mistake and missed. Jordan Crane stepped up and never even looked like missing and we're on our way to Edinburgh.

I detest the way it ended and I hope that no one ever has to resolve a game like it again. The only good this was that he better team on the day over the actual rugby played did finally win.

Onwards back to the Mochyn Du for a couple of pints of water - yes seriously I was very dry - and a couple of beers before heading off. The car did splutter and die right in the middle of the tunnel on the M4 where there is no hard shoulder, but fortunately it started immediately, rather than the drivers suggested 10 minute wait while it rested, and we quickly got back to Leicester and had a final celebratory couple of pints in the Criterion.

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