Leeds Carnegie ended their season with a 45-28 defeat to title favourites Wasps in front of 7,842 supporters at Headingley.
It was their 19th defeat in 22 league games, but they went down with their pride intact.
Playing their best rugby of the season, Leeds shot into a 9-0 lead, courtesy of three penalties from Alberto di Bernardo. The hosts fully deserved to be in
front, and they could have been further ahead had Rob Vickerman been able to hold Kearnan Myall's pass with the line beckoning.
Midway through the half, Wasps - who finished second in the table and set up a home play-off semi-final against Bath - finally strung some passes together. They surged into the Leeds 22 and wing Tom Voyce stormed through Adam Balding's tackle to touch down near the posts.
It looked as though the tide had turned but five minutes later, Tom Biggs intercepted Jeremey Staunton's pass and raced 80 yards to the posts. Di Bernardo's conversion made it 16-7
Staunton's penalty narrowed the margin to six points and Wasps took the lead when Voyce scored his second, his fancy footwork leaving Leigh Hinton groping vainly.
On the stroke of half-time, the visitors scored again, Riki Flutey sending Fraser Waters over. Staunton's conversion put his side 24-16 up.
Nine minutes into the second half, Wasps secured the bonus point when a searing break from former Leeds scrum-half Mark McMillan put Raphael Ibanez over.
The hosts refused to be swamped and John Holtby's half-break created the space for Jonny Hepworth to score in the corner, but Wasps replied almost instantly through Joe Ward.
Hendre Fourie grabbed his second try in two matches to reduce the deficit to 10 points but there was little chance of an upset, and Voyce completed his hat-trick.
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