Leinster came up just short in a pulsating Champions Cup semi-final in Lyon as Clermont advanced to next month's final with a 27-22 victory in Lyon.
The Irish side were left to rue a disastrous opening quarter, but had looked set to overturn an early 15-point deficit only for a pair of late drop goals from France out-half Camille Lopez saw Clermont over the line.
The Top 14 side had looked primed to run the visitors ragged in the early going, as tries from flanker Peceli Yato and England wing David Strettle saw Clermont open up a 15-point lead as skipper Isa Nacewa spent ten minutes in the sin bin on his 50th European appearance for Leinster.
Leinster struggled to show anything in the opening 40 minutes, but took some hope into the interval as Morgan Parra missed a kickable penalty and Jonathan Sexton followed up with Leinster's first three points to send them down the tunnel 15-3 down.
Leinster reemerged a different side, with Jack Conan and Rhys Ruddock prominent in the loose and Garry Ringrose and Joey Carbery beginning to show glimpses of their quick feet.
With Clermont on the back foot, Sexton chipped away at the lead with three further penalties before Leinster looked to go in front when Dan Leavy touched down after a scintillating break featuring Fergus McFadden, Carbery and Henshaw.
But some eagle-eyed work from the TMO saw referee Nigel Owens call play back for an infringement by Leavy himself, the flanker creating the initial gap for McFadden by grabbing hold of Aurelien Rougerie's ankle at a ruck.
Parra doubled the dose by kicking the penalty and Lopez added another three with a clinical drop goal from distance to make it 21-12 with 15 minutes on the clock.
But Leinster came again and Ringrose underlined his increasing profile with a stunning try on 68 minutes.
The centre threw a dummy on the halfway line and cut back inside, outpacing the Clermont cover to score under the posts. Sexton converted to leave just two between them.
With things again swinging in Leinster's favour, number eight Fritz Lee brought about a vital three points for Lopez from the tee with a crucial poach at the breakdown, and the out-half added another drop goal to again leave Leinster needed two scores at 27-19.
Sexton kicked a late penalty to make it a five-point game but Leinster couldn't gather the restart and Clermont ran out the clock to book a place against Saracens at Murrayfield on May 13.
