Leicester sneak into play-off berth

Leicester dramatically snatched a place in the play-offs on the final day of the English Premiership season.

Leicester dramatically snatched a place in the play-offs on the final day of the English Premiership season.

Tigers needed a bonus-point win over Harlequins and for Sale to lose at home to London Irish and kept their side of the bargain with a last-gasp 31-28 win at Welford Road.

And with Sale losing 17-7 at Edgeley Park, Marcelo Loffreda's side snuck into fourth place and secured a semi-final clash with top of the table Gloucester.

The Tigers were trailing by four points with three minutes to go until Tom Varndell's try, which Andy Goode converted, snatched an unlikely win.

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Gloucester beat Bath 8-6 at Kingsholm but there were major injury concerns for watching England boss Martin Johnson. Gloucester centre Mike Tindall, Bath prop Matt Stevens and his front-row colleague Lee Mears all failed to last the distance of a punishing encounter.

Wasps continued their blistering end-of-season form with an all-important bonus-point win, 45-28, against already-relegated Leeds.

Sale's Premiership play-off hopes lay in tatters as London Irish produced a stirring display. The Sharks were 12-0 down at the break after tries from wing Topsy Ojo and centre Seilala Mapusua.

Mapusa claimed his second in the closing stages and, although replacement Chris Bell replied late on for Sale, the hosts had long since surrendered the points.