Monye was a constant threat to Leicester

Leicester will meet Saracens in the Zurich Wildcard final after keeping their Heineken Cup hopes alive with a tense second leg victory over Harlequins.

The Tigers, European champions for the past two years, faced missing out on next season's competition as Quins came close to causing an upset.

Starting three points down after the first leg, Leicester found themselves 10 points adrift overall after a superb individual try from visiting wing Ugo Monye in the first half.

Heineken Cup qualification explained

But they levelled the tie by half-time with a converted try from Glenn Gelderbloom, and second-half scores from Neil Back and 19-year-old replacement Will Skinner sealed victory.

Full-back Tim Stimpson added 13 points on a mixed day with the boot, after missing two kickable early penalties to raise the tension at Welford Road.

Our game playing into a howling gale hasn't been too good this year but I thought we were spot on today Leicester director of rugby Dean Richards

Paul Burke showed no such hesitancy to put Quins 3-0 ahead, before Stimpson found his range after 18 minutes to level the scores.

Quins lost captain Andre Vos to injury before the end of the first quarter after the former Springbok had clashed with Martin Johnson.

But they swiftly put the setback aside as flying wing Moyne added to his growing reputation.

Picking up a Will Greenwood pass 20m inside his own half, Monye spotted a gaping hole in the Tigers defence and sprinted away unopposed to the line.

Burke's conversion put Quins 10-3 up and Stimpson's eventful afternoon continued when, having declined a shot at goal, he put his kick dead rather than in touch.

Leicester 28 (13): Tries: Gelderbloom, Back, Skinner Cons: Stimpson 2 Pens: Stimpson 3 Harlequins 13 (10): Tries: Monye Con: Burke Pens: Burke

But the Tigers rallied to create a first try of the season for centre Gelderbloom 10 minutes before the interval.

Stimpson converted and added a penalty just before the interval to put Leicester 13-10 up and tie the aggregate scores.

The full-back added another on the resumption to put Leicester ahead overall for the first time in the two matches.

Freddie Tuilagi kept Quins at bay with a crucial tackle to stop Mel Deane on his own 22, and the home side's persistence paid off after 57 minutes.

You've got all your forward subs on apart from your hooker and your substitute lock goes and turns his ankle - that wrecked our scrummage and we didn't have a base Harlequins coach Mark Evans

Back, in his first game since the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Munster, took a pass from Craig McMullen and cut inside from the touchline to ground the ball.

The England flanker later departed injured after Burke had reduced the deficit to five points overall with a penalty that went over via an upright.

His next effort, 10 minutes from time, came back off the same post, and with it went Quins' last hope.

Three minutes from time, Tuilagi barged through a couple of tackles to find the supporting Skinner, who touched down to the relief of Welford Road.

Leicester: Stimpson, Murphy, Gelderbloom, Tuilagi, Lloyd, McMullen, Ellis, Rowntree, West, Nebbett, M. Johnson, Deacon, Short, Back, Corry.
Replacements: Freshwater, Kay, Garforth, Balding, J Hamilton, Vesty, W Skinner.

Harlequins: N Williams, Monye, Greenwood, Deane, Luger, Burke, M Powell, Leonard, Fuga, Dawson, Davison, Miall, Winters, Vos, Diprose.
Replacements: Hayter, Gomez, Evans, Rudzki, Sanderson, Bemand, Gollings.