Exiles edged out by Sexton

Jonathan Sexton's late drop goal denied London Irish at Twickenham as Leinster sealed top spot in Pool Six courtesy of a dramatic 11-11 draw.

The Exiles had looked set to qualify for the last eight thanks to a Chris Malone penalty in the 77th minute of a titanic tussle at rugby HQ.

However their European dreams were dashed when Sexton replied by slotting over three crucial points that levelled matters once again.

The drama wasn't finished there, though, as Malone had not one but two attempts at a drop goal himself. The first fell well short while his second, gifted to him by Rob Kearney's failure to find touch and end the game, had the legs but agonisingly drifted wide to the right.

Curate's egg

The misses summed up a curate's egg of a display from the fly-half who had been preferred to Ryan Lamb following the disappointing defeat to Scarlets.

Normally a reliable kicker, Malone missed two relatively easy penalties and a conversion - all failures that cost his side dear in the final reckoning.

Yet it was his 66th minute try that had given the Exiles renewed hope, having trailed 8-3 at the end of a first half in which they had huffed and puffed but failed to blow the Leinster defence down.

Both teams treated the ball like a hot potato for much of the first 40 minutes with points coming via penalties from first Sexton and then Malone.

Leinster thought they'd grabbed the game's opening try just before the break when Gordon D'Arcy finished off a move that he had also started.

Although referee Nigel Owens was in the perfect position to rule out the score due to a forward pass right before the finish, the Exiles failed to take note of the warning shot across their bows.

The resulting scrum collapsed around replacement scrum-half Peter Richards and although flanker Jamie Heaslip was held up just short, one pass out wide set up Isa Nacewa, the winger diving over in acres of space in the left corner.

Looking to gain revenge having suffered a home loss to Irish on the opening weekend of this season's competition, Leinster looked in total control.

Even when down to 14 men, prop Cian Healy seeing yellow early in the second half for aiming a punch at lock Bob Casey in defence of his scrum-half Eoin Reddan, they still held the Exiles at bay.

Powerful drives

Malone's agony off the kicking tee continued with a penalty pushed wide but he made amends by touching down for a try to the right of the posts.

Powerful drives by Seilala Mapusua and then Chris Hala'Ufia down the middle created space out wide for the number 10. He was unable to add the extras though, leaving the game firmly in the balance going into the final 10 minutes.

A drop goal chance was set up but Malone instead opted to throw the ball out wide to winger Sailosi Tagicakibau, who was quickly forced into touch.

Owens offered the Australian a shot at redemption by awarding a penalty that went straight down the middle. The same couldn't be said of Sexton's drop goal that followed, but his kick wobbled over to land a crushing blow.

The Exiles were unable to climb off the canvas and respond for a second time on the night, meaning their European season was KO'd. They won't even get a place in the Amlin Challenge Cup as a consolation for their efforts.