Ellis Genge cursed a “missed opportunity” as his Leicester team’s double dream died at Welford Road.
The Premiership leaders had not lost all season at home but their 16-win streak came to an abrupt end against classy Leinster.
The Irish province, coached by former England boss Stuart Lancaster, raced into a 20-0 lead before weathering a second half Tigers fightback to set up a home semi-final with Toulouse.
The French holders reached the last four with a dramatic 4-2 win over Munster on ‘golden kicks’ after their tie finished 24-24 after extra time.
The clash at Welford Road was never that close, leaving Tigers captain Genge frustrated at what might have been.
“We came out and fought as hard as we could but it was pretty obvious we didn’t do the basics well enough,” he said.
“The difference between the first half and the second half, 20-0 down to come back and win the second half 14-3, shows where we should have been.
“It’s a missed opportunity. We didn’t stop fighting but you play like that against teams like that you get punished.”
Former Ireland star Rob Kearney reckoned Leicester’s inexperience in the knockout stages of club rugby’s most prestigious tournament cost them.
”Leinster looked comfortable,” he said. “You could probably see that this was a Leicester side who hadn’t played in the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup for some time.
“They were a little bit tense, they didn’t take a huge amount of risks, they didn’t put any sort of game on or impose themselves on Leinster.
“Leinster got a few opportunities and were incredibly clinical when those times came."
The visitors swarmed all over the home side, with Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the strings superbly from scrum-half.
On 16 minutes Jack Conan won a lineout five metres out and Josh Van der Flier latched onto the back of the maul and powered over.
Soon after James Lowe, filling in at nine, fizzed quick ball out which led to Robbie Henshaw ploughing over.
Leicester were 17-0 down and had not fired a shot, their trademark snarl and control nowhere to be seen.
Much of the credit for that goes to Lancaster, who has rebuilt his reputation in Ireland since England flopped in the 2015 World Cup.
When Leinster had two matches down in South Africa at the end of last month, he kept his main players back in Ireland to prepare specifically for this game.
The strategy paid off handsomely though Leicester were never going to just roll over.
Six minutes into the second half George Ford put Chris Ashton in on the left and added the conversion from the touchline.
Then Nemani Nadolo and Harry Potter were both held up over the visitors’ line as Tigers came again.
But this is a Leinster team skilled in weathering such storms at the business end of seasons and it held its nerve until Tigers ran out of steam.
Ross Byrne came off the bench to kick a penalty and when Leinster’s scrum won a penalty on Leicester’s put in the home side knew their chance had gone.
LEICESTER - Tries: Ashton, Dolly. Cons: Ford 2.
LEINSTER - Tries: Van der Flier, Henshaw. Cons: Sexton 2. Pens: Sexton 2, Byrne.
