European Rugby Champions Cup: Saracens into quarter-finals after Wasps win

Saracens took the final place in the quarter-finals having finished as the third-best second-placed side

Defending champions Saracens have progressed to the quarter-finals of this season's European Champions Cup.

The back-to-back title winners thrashed Northampton on Saturday to remain in contention, but their place was only confirmed after Wasps beat Ulster at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday.

Mark McCall's side qualified as the third-best second-place team and face a tough away tie at top seeds Leinster.

Saracens are the only English side to have progressed to the knockout stages.

• Wasps beat Ulster but both go out

• La Rochelle see off Harlequins

La Rochelle, Clermont, Leinster, Munster and Scarlets all won their pools, with Scarlets becoming the first Welsh region to qualify for the competition's quarter-finals in six years.

Toulon, Racing and Saracens go through as the three best second-placed sides.

Leinster are the only side still unbeaten in this season's competition, but will have to see off holders Saracens to make the semi-finals.

Scarlets host competition debutants La Rochelle at Parc y Scarlets in a meeting of two sides who have surpassed expectations in this Champions Cup.

Munster's reward for thrashing Castres in their final pool game is a home tie against three-time winners Toulon, with an all-French tie between Clermont and Racing rounding off the quarter-final line-up.

The quarter-finals of both the Champions Cup and second-tier Challenge Cup will take place between 29 March and 1 April.

Two teams from England and one apiece from Ireland, Scotland and Wales joined three French sides in the last eight of the Challenge Cup.