But a horror show from Saint-Andre's men - who were crowned Premiership champions two years ago - allowed Leicester to leapfrog them into fourth spot and left Sale outside of the play-offs in fifth.

The Sharks were 12-0 down at the break after a half in which they were outwitted, outfought and above all outpaced by the impressive Exiles.

They never recovered to suffer a 17-7 home defeat which left Saint-Andre frustrated afterfwards.

''Today we didn't turn up,'' he said.

''It was an opportunity to get to a play-off semi-final but we don't deserve it after that.

''In the first half we had seven or eight opportunities in their 22, but we lost the ball straight away.

''We knew they had match-winners but when you create seven or eight opportunities of your own and don't take them then you don't deserve to be in the semi-final.''

Sale finished 10th last season after an injury-ravaged campaign, so fifth represents a noteable improvement, according to Sale's French boss.

''At least we finished fifth and are in the Heineken Cup,'' Saint-Andre said.

''That is a bonus but to finish the season like this is clearly very disappointing for us.''

First-half tries from wing Topsy Ojo and centre Seilala Mapusua were the least the visitors deserved against a Sale outfit woefully bereft of ideas and inspiration.

Mapusua claimed his second in the closing stages to cap an exhilirating display of counter-attacking rugby from the visitors and although replacement Chris Bell replied late on for Sale, the hosts hosts had long since surrendered the points.

Irish even had two men - replacement Richard Thorpe and captain Bob Casey - sinbinned in the final quarter but still Sale struggled to penetrate their defence.

The Sharks were a pale shadow of the side which marched to victory against Harlequins last weekend and the majority of a bumper 10,252 crowd were left bitterly disappointed at the final whistle.

Saint-Andre added: ''I don't know why we didn't perform. Sometimes we seem think we are better than we actually are.''

Sale actually began the brighter of the sides but with Eoghan Hickey and Paul Hodgson dovetailing effectively at half-back, and Shane Geraghty providing additional guile and craft from inside centre, Irish cut their opponents to
pieces at times, especially during the first half.

Exiles director of rugby Brian Smith - whose side finished a creditable seventh - said: ''To come here and win with 13 men on the pitch at one stage was so courageous.

''It's a shame that we're not going to be in the Heineken Cup but we're going to give the European Challenge Cup one hell of a bloody go.''

Coach Toby Booth added: ''We're a young side which is probably evolving and getting towards its prime. Half of it is a mental belief and that was probably our best performance of the year.''