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.

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. Johnson and Rob Andrew are due to announce a 32-man squad for next month's New Zealand tour on Tuesday. Wing James Simpson-Daniel's 34th-minute try shaded an intense encounter, consigning Bath to third spot and a daunting semi-final away to Wasps.

Wasps continued their blistering end-of-season form with an all-important bonus-point win, 45-28, against already-relegated Leeds. The outgoing European champions scored six tries in a rampant display as Fraser Waters, Raphael Ibanez, replacement Joe Ward and a treble from England wing Tom Voyce sealed the points.

Sale's Premiership play-off hopes lay in tatters as London Irish produced a stirring display to win 17-7.

World Cup winner Richard Hill headed into retirement with a 25-20 victory in his 288th and final appearance for Saracens.

It was an occasion for the players saying their final farewells at Sixways as Worcester beat Newcastle Falcons 51-10. South African full-back Thinus Delport, prop Tony Windo and fly-half Shane Drahm were all involved in the try feast that saw the troubled Falcons torn to pieces.



Copyright PA Sport 2008, All Rights Reserved