Pool Five/Llanelli 20 London Irish 16:Munster's quarter-final opponents, Llanelli, completed their pool campaign unbeaten, but they were made to work hard for the points against a gutsy London Irish side.
After leading 17-3, the Scarlets were forced to endure a spirited fightback from the Premiership side, sparked by replacement Shane Geraghty.
The 20-year-old, a member of England's Six Nations squad, crossed for a try and kicked a couple of penalties to threaten to upset the runaway Pool Five winners.
However, the Scarlets, who struggled to replicate their recent heroics in Europe, managed to hang on, outhalf Stephen Jones landing a late long-range penalty to seal the points and a top seeding for the Welsh region.
Gloucester's win over Leinster at Kingsholm on Friday evening had ensured that, with Leicester's historic victory at Thomond Park the following night setting up Munster as the likely candidates for a trip to Stradey in March.
Scarlets Stephen Jones opened the scoring after five minutes with a straightforward penalty shot, before Irish responded through his opposite number, Barry Everitt, after a smart break from Riki Flutey.
But after a series of searing breaks the Scarlets were finally rewarded with their first try on 21 minutes. The Exiles were shoved unceremoniously off their own scrum ball inside their own 22 and when Alix Popham fed Dwayne Peel, the Wales number nine put his foot to the accelerator and raced through to the line.
Jones converted to make it 10-3 and it soon got worse for the Premiership side.
With his first touch after coming on for the injured Michael Horak, England squad member Shane Geraghty threw out a speculative long pass, only for it to hold up long enough in the wind for wing Dafydd James to pluck it out of the air and race 70 yards unopposed.
The try extended James's lead at the head of the competition's try-scoring chart, and with Jones again making no mistake with the simple conversion the Scarlets appeared in total control.
Everitt did manage to reduce the arrears just before the break after Irish won a penalty at a scrum in the home 22, but it was taking some desperate last-ditch defence to keep a confident home side at bay.
Eventually, with 49 minutes on the clock, it was replacement Geraghty who atoned for his earlier error by darting inside the cover for a well-worked try.
The young outhalf added the extras and suddenly Irish were within striking distance.
Irish did manage a penalty, which Geraghty duly landed, and with less than a quarter of an hour remaining they were only a point adrift.
But with five minutes left on the clock Jones eased home nerves with a penalty from the halfway line.
Scorers: Llanelli Scarlets: Tries: Peel, James. Cons: S Jones 2. Pens: S Jones 2. London Irish: Tries: Geraghty. Cons: Geraghty. Pens: Everitt 2, Geraghty.
LLANELLI SCARLETS: Stoddart; James, King, G Evans, Watkins; S Jones, Peel; I Thomas, Rees, Dunlea; A Jones, MacLeod; Easterby, G Thomas, Popham. Replacements: , Manu for Dunlea, D Jones for G Thomas (both 59), Daniel for G Evans (80).
LONDON IRISH: Horak; Ojo, Mapusua, Flutey, Bishop; Everitt, Rees; Lea'aetoa, Paice, Skuse; J Hudson, Roche; McCullen, Magne, P Murphy. Replacements: Geraghty for Horak (29), S Armitage for Everitt (46), Russell for Paice (48), Kennedy for Roche (55), Willis for Rees, Fitter for Skuse (both 61), Collins for Lea'aetoa (68). Sinbin: Kennedy (80).
Referee: C Berdos (France).
