Grenoble 34-23 Edinburgh

John Hardie scored one of Edinburgh's tries

Edinburgh missed out on the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals after an agonising late slip in Grenoble.

Alan Solomons' side needed at least a losing bonus point to progress.

Tries from John Hardie and William Helu helped Edinburgh into a 17-13 advantage at half-time, Arnaud Heguy crossing for the home side in between.

The second of Gio Aplon's brace came in the final minute and Edinburgh's deficit, combined with London Irish's bonus-point win at Agen, sent them out.

Last year's beaten finalists finish level on points with London Irish but the latter join pool winners Grenoble in the last eight.

Irish completed the round-robin stage with just three wins to Edinburgh's four but won out thanks to a superior aggregate points haul in the two meetings between the teams in Pool Five.

Hardie claimed an early try for Edinburgh and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne added the conversion.

However, Solomons was forced into a change soon after with Alex Toolis replacing Anton Bresler in the second row.

Two Jonathan Wisniewski penalties brought the hosts back to within a point before they themselves made a substitution, Fabien Barcella making way for Sona Taumalolo.

Wisniewski missed his next penalty and Hidalgo-Clyne was successful with his first, opening up a four-point gap.

James Percival then came on for Ben Hand as Grenoble once again had to change their line-up.

Heguy's try and Wisniewski's conversion briefly had the home side ahead but Helu burst through the middle to cross and Hidalgo-Clyne added the extras.

Wisniewski's penalty narrowed Grenoble's deficit to one but Hidalgo-Clyne quickly responded with one of his own before the hosts' fly-half added another.

Hidalgo-Clyne had his first unsuccessful kick and atoned with his next penalty but Aplon's try, converted by Wisniewski, put the home side ahead again.

Another Wisniewski penalty followed, leaving Edinburgh clinging on to a six-point deficit that would have seen them through.

But South African full-back Aplon slipped a tackle in the last minute to claim his second score and though Wisniewski missed the conversion, it mattered little as the French side finished their pool campaign with a comfortable lead.

Grenoble: Aplon, Mignot, Farrell, Hunt, Kilioni, Wisniewski, McLeod, Barcella, Heguy, Edwards, Hand, Kimlin, Vanderglas, Diaby, R. Grice.

Replacements: Gengenbacher for Hunt (67), De Kierk for Edwards (41), Alexandre for Diaby (46). Not Used: Jammes, Taumalolo, Percival, Loustalot, Bosch.

Edinburgh: Tonks, Hoyland, Allen, Scott, Helu, Burleigh, Hidalgo-Clyne, Dickinson, Ford, Nel, Bresler, B. Toolis, Coman, J. Hardie, Du Preez.

Replacements: Fife for Burleigh (71), Dell for Dickinson (78), Cochrane for Ford (65), Berghan for Nel (65), Watson for J. Hardie (60). Not Used: A. Toolis, Fowles, Strauss.