LONDON Welsh overturned an 18-point deficit to take a share of the spoils at Donnybrook against Leinster A, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Exiles bowing out of the British & Irish Cup.

Llanelli’s draw away to Bedford Blues 24 hours earlier left Lyn Jones’ side with the simple permutation of needing to beat Leinster to qualify for the last eight as Pool 4 winners.

That looked a remote possibility when Leinster full back Rob Kearney crossed for the home side’s second try two minutes before half time, with Noel Reid’s conversion taking the Dubliners lead to 18-0.

But James Lewis’ quick response gave Welsh heart and they were a side transformed after the break with Ed Siggery and Will Hurrell crossing to bring the Exiles level.

Replacement fly half Cathal Marsh nudged Leinster back in front three minutes from time, with Welsh wing Liam Gibson in the sin bin, only for Alex Davies to tie things up again in injury time.

Marsh had the chance to win it for Leinster, with two last gasp drop goal attempts, only to see the first charged down and the second slip wide of the right hand post with the last kick of the game.

A combination of a bitterly cold Dublin day and the delaying of the Exiles’ early morning flight from Gatwick meant Welsh took time to warm to their task at Donnybrook.

Reid needed two stabs at the uprights before giving the home side a deserved lead, with Leinster enjoying far more of the territory and possession. Reid’s first attempt came after Andrew Conway had chipped over the top only to have his heels clipped as he tried to chase down his kick, and the second after Welsh were penalised for not releasing.

Leinster might have been in for the game’s opening try as early as the fourth minute, but Kearney’s pass, looking for Fionn Carr, was forward. Indeed, Carr was a threat every time the home side could get the ball out to their left wing.

A combination of poor execution and some stout defence, though, kept the margin to just that Reid strike, until just before half-time, when the home side finally managed to turn their dominance into something more substantial.

Conway’s break was the catalyst and although the Exiles stopped Lenster metres short, they still faced a scrum in front of their own posts. Number eight Leo Auva’awas held up, but the Welsh scrum would hold firm.

The danger hadn’t passed, though, and the Leinster pack forced their way inch by inch up to the Welsh line and hooker Dundon got the vital touch down. Reid couldn’t convert but he’d make no mistake just minutes later after centre BrendanMacken broke through before feeding Kearney for an easy run in.

A further penalty from Reid, as the first half lapsed into injury time, ended a purple patch for the home side which had yielded 15 points inside six minutes.

Welsh had rarely shown themselves as an attacking force in the first half, but they chose the dying seconds to do just that and throw themselves a lifeline. EddThrower and Hurrell were both involved as the Exiles moved the ball at pace to create the space for centre Lewis to dive over in the corner. Davies converted and Welsh had something to build on.

They would be a different side in the second half, pilling on the pressure in the opening 16 minutes, but points would prove elusive.

Jack Moates, Billy Moss and Nathan Morris took the Exiles to within metres of theLeinster tryline, only for accidental offside to frustrate the away side and allowLeinster to escape.

Untidy ball from a Leinster put in forced scrum half John Cooney to shovel the ball deliberately into touch and Davies prodded the resulting penalty into the corner to keep up the pressure, but the home defence would hold firm.

It would fall to Reid to break the second half dead-lock after Welsh were penalised at a scrum and the Leinster fly half did the rest.

But just as the game seemed to slipping away from Welsh, the Exiles produced a try from nothing. Turned over ball was seized upon and the Exiles swept down field through Morris, Michael Hills, Seb Jewell, Hurrell and Lewis.

When Jewell appeared in the move for a second time he had the strength to burst through several tackles before offloading for Siggery to cross. Davies added the conversion and there was a sense around Donnybrook that this one was far from over.

Leinster might have killed such thoughts stone dead, however, had Carr being able to reel in Cooney’s pass, but the tide had turned and four minutes later Welsh were level.

From scrum ball, the Exiles went across the width of the pitch before Hurrell, popping up in midfield off his wing, shrugged off several tackles to force his way over. Davies bisected the uprights and having been seemingly dead and buried Welsh were on all square on the scoreboard.

It was game on at Donnybrook but the pendulum swung the home side’s way when Gibson was yellow carded, seemingly for a high tackle, seven minutes from time.

A kick to touch and scrum later, replacement number ten for Leinster, Marsh, landed what looked like being the winning penalty, but Welsh hadn’t come this far to go home with a defeat.

Moss and Ben Russell both made yards as the Exiles got within sight of the posts and when the home side offered up a shot at goal, for going in at the side, Davies levelled the scores once again.

With several minutes still to be played the game was there for both sides to be won, but it was Leinster that got their hands on the ball and manoeuvred themselves into a position to snatch victory.

When the ball was thrown back to Marsh, Welsh were up quickly to charge down superbly and were unlucky for the ball to break kindly for the home side, who were able to engineer one final chance for their fly half, only for Marsh’s effort to slip past the right hand upright.