PARIS: Four-time winners Toulouse condemned Connacht to an agonising 19-10 defeat on Sunday, shattering the Irish team's dreams of making the European Champions Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
The French giants ended Pool 2 action on 18 points, the same as Connacht, to make the last-eight for the first time in three years as a best runner-up.
Wasps, the 2004 and 2007 champions, claimed top spot in the group after a six-try 41-27 win at whipping boys Zebre.
Sunday's results mean that top seeds Clermont will host French rivals and three-time champions Toulon in the quarter-finals with Leinster playing Wasps, Munster welcoming Toulouse while defending champions Saracens face first-time quarter-finalists Glasgow.
"We got over the line and we're delighted," Toulouse second row Richie Gray told epcrugby.com after his team qualified courtesy of their better head-to-head pool stage record against Connacht.
"We've now drawn Munster which will be no easy task, but it's something that we'll really look forward to."
Toulouse, champions in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010, started the day in third spot in Pool 2, four points behind Connacht and three off Wasps in second place.
But they stormed out of the blocks at their Stade Ernest Wallon home with Gael Fickou grabbing a fifth-minute try converted by Jean-Marc Doussain.
By the 20th minute, the French giants were 14-0 to the good with winger Arthur Bonneval adding a second converted try after a fine breakaway by full-back Yoann Huget.
Struggling Connacht finally got on the board courtesy of a Craig Ronaldson penalty just before the interval.
Veteran Australian lock Joe Tekori grabbed Toulouse's third try early in the second period as the French edged closer to a crucial offensive bonus point which would come with a fourth try.
This time Doussain failed with the extras as his kick came back off the left upright.
No 8 John Muldoon then breathed life back into Connacht hopes, piling in from close range on 55 minutes after a turnover with Ronaldson adding the extras to cut the deficit to 19-10 and leave them two points short of a losing bonus point and a spot in the last-eight.
Connacht laid siege to the Toulouse line as the minutes ticked down but Sebastien Bezy relieved the pressure with an interception inside the 22m line and kicked clear to break Irish hearts.
Wasps sent Zebre to a sixth defeat in six matches but they did not have it all their own way in Italy.
Zebre led 13-3 at one stage but their challenge fizzled out when hooker Oliviero Fabiani was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle on the half-hour mark.
With a one-man advantage, Wasps ran in three tries through Ashley Johnson, Danny Cipriani and Elliot Daly before the break for a 22-13 lead.
Johnson, Christian Wade and Nathan Hughes added further tries in the second period as Wasps claimed a bonus point win, leaving Zebre licking the wounds of an 18th defeat in the tournament.
"When you get through to this stage of Europe there are no easy games and we understand the challenge ahead," said Wasps' England international lock Joe Launchbury.
"We went to Leinster in the group stages last year so we're really excited about that."
The quarter-finals of the tournament take place on the first weekend of April.
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