Leinster save Irish pride with last-8 spot

Three-time champions Leinster squeezed into the European Champions Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after allowing a 14-point half-time lead slip in a 20-20 draw at Wasps.
An opportunistic try by Wasps' number eight Nathan Hughes 10 minutes from the end and a second conversion from Andy Goode drew Wasps level and set up a nail-biting final period.
Leinster qualify as Pool 2 winners, meaning Ireland avoid suffering the ignominy of being without a team in the knockout stages for the first time in 17 years, after Ulster and two-time champions Munster had fallen by the wayside.
But it was not enough to see Wasps through and they will now have to sweat it out and hope they make it to the knock-out stages as one of the best three runners-up.
Leinster's win came at some cost with Dave Kearney and Eoin Reddan likely to miss the start of Ireland's Six Nations title defence after suffering injuries.
Winger Kearney picked up a shoulder injury while scrum-half Reddan trudged off with knee ligament damage.
Head coach Matt O'Connor admitted both Reddan and Kearney are doubts for Ireland's Six Nations opener in Italy on February 7.
"Dave (Kearney) has got a bang on his shoulder. It's significant and he could be out for several weeks," O'Connor said. "Eoin Reddan has a medial strain on his knee."
In the same Pool 2, Harlequins' 47-19 away win over Castres was not enough to see them overhaul Wasps, finishing level on points but with an inferior points difference.
It was, however, enough to see Racing Metro qualify from Pool 5 even before their match with Northampton.
The French side then confirmed their top spot with a 32-8 win at the Saints handing the English side their worst defeat of the season.
Northampton still made the last eight, however, as one of the best runners-up.
Racing wing Juan Imhoff scored two tries, with full-back Benjamin Lapeyre and Wales international centre Jamie Roberts also touching down.
- Leicester humbled -
A vocal 24,000 inside Coventry's Ricoh Arena cheered the in-form Wasps on against Leinster, even when they appeared to be chasing a lost cause, going in 6-20 at half-time.
Leinster wing Fergus McFadden opened the scoring with a try after just two minutes, converted by centre Ian Madigan, to give the visitors a 7-0 cushion.
Goode kicked the first of his 10 points with a sixth-minute penalty, only to see Madigan reply and fly-half Jimmy Gopperth kick another on 29 minutes to open up a 10-point lead.
Leinster substitute Isaac Boss stretched the lead with a 37th minute try, again converted by Madigan.
But Wasps took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, with Matt Mullan crossing on the hour, Goode converting again, to make it 13-20 before Hughes popped up, leaping over the maul to touch down and make it 18-20.
Goode's conversion attempt hit the post but he was given a second bite of the cherry after an early charge out by Leinster and made no mistake second time round, planting the ball firmly between the posts.
And Goode should have grabbed a deserved victory for Wasps with the final kick of the game, but his drop kick attempt flew well wide of the posts.
"We defended very well. I thought our defence was outstanding against a very, very dangerous side, for the most of it," said O'Connor.
In Pool 3, defending champions Toulon, who had already booked their quarter-final place, ended their group campaign with a 26-3 win at Scarlets.
Welsh international Leigh Halfpenny kicked 13 points for the French giants with centre Mathieu Bastareaud and winger Bryan Habana scoring a try apiece.
The win also ensured a home quarter-final for Toulon.
Two-time champions Leicester's slim hopes of sneaking into the last-eight were crushed by Ulster, 26-7.
Darren Cave scored a hat-trick as Ulster ensured they escaped finishing bottom of the group.
The Tigers could only manage a single converted try from Adam Thompstone in response when they needed to not only win the game but come away with a bonus point to keep their hopes alive.
Source: AFP