23–19 to become European Champions for the first time. Munster finished one place lower than the previous season in the Celtic League, finishing third overall. The 2006–07 Heineken Cup was a disappointing tournament for Munster, as they lost their previously unbeaten European record at Thomond Park, losing to Leicester Tigers in the group stages in January 2007, and later lost their quarter-final to Llanelli Scarlets. Munster's performance in the Celtic League was equally disappointing, finishing sixth overall. In 2007, Munster signed Doug Howlett, the all-time leading try scorer for New Zealand. Howlett joined the squad after the 2007 Rugby World Cup. That season's Heineken Cup saw Munster finish top in their group, and they went on to reach the final for the second time in three years, beating Saracens in the semi-final. The final, again held at the Millennium Stadium, saw Munster defeat Toulouse 16–13 to claim their second Heineken Cup title in 3 years. Munster finished third in the Celtic League in the 2007–08 season. In May 2008, Director of Coaching Declan Kidney left to take up the head coach job with Ireland. Munster ensured continuity by promoting Australian Tony McGahan to the position from within the coaching setup. In the 2008–09 Heineken Cup, Munster once again topped their group and hammered Ospreys 43–9 to advance to a semi-final against arch-rivals Leinster. Many had fancied Munster to become only the second team to win back-to-back Heineken Cups, but a dominant Leinster side gained revenge for their 2006 semi-final defeat against Munster with a 25–6 win in Croke Park, in front of a then-world record 82,208 crowd. Munster clinched the Celtic League for the second time in their history, after their closest challengers Ospreys beat Dragons but failed to claim a bonus point. This handed the title to Munster who could not be overtaken at the top of the table. The McGahan and Penney years (2009–2014) The 2009–10 season saw Munster finish top of their Heineken Cup pool once again. Victories over Northampton Saints, French Top 14 champions Perpignan and Italian side Benetton saw Munster qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for a record 12th consecutive year. The match took place at Thomond Park, where Munster played Northampton Saints for the third time that season and won 33–19. They lost 18–7 in the semi-finals against Biarritz at the Anoeta. Munster came 4th in the Celtic League, but because this season