Three-time champions Leinster squeezed into the European Champions Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after allowing a 14-point halftime lead slip in a 20-20 draw at Wasps.
An opportunistic try by Wasps' No.8 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 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 halfback Reddan trudged off with knee ligament damage.
Head coach Matt O'Connor admitted Reddan and Kearney were 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 for Racing Metro to 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 winger Juan Imhoff scored two tries, with fullback Benjamin Lapeyre and Wales international centre Jamie Roberts also touching down.
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.
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