Leinster now have to wait to see the results of the games between Leicester Tigers and Toulouse, Saracens and Edinburgh and Munster's match with Racing Metro 92 to find out if they make it through behind Montpellier as the final pool runners up.

Joe Schmidt's men could still miss out on a place in the last eight for the first time in five years despite their fourth win of the campaign - they last failed to reach the quarter-finals back in 2008.

The Irish province won the title in 2009, 2011 and 2012 but they could still find themselves in this season's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals if results don't go their way on Sunday.

Centres Gordon D'arcy and Brian O'Driscoll, full back Rob Kearney and No8 Jamie Heaslip got the vital tries for Leinster against a spirited Chiefs outfit who refused to lie down.

Leinster made a perfect start when centre D'arcy crossed for the first try after only four minutes of the game and fly-half Sexton added the extras with the conversion.

But the Chiefs hit back with a well-worked try from a lineout by hooker Neil Clark to draw level midway through the first half before Kearney replied with the visitor's second try.

Exeter then took the lead when they were awarded a penalty try by French referee Roman Poite when he penalised Leinster for bringing down a Chiefs driving lineout near their own line.

Gareth Steenson, the former Ulster fly-half, added the conversion and a penalty on the stroke of half-time to make it 17-12 to the Chiefs before Leinster replied at the start of the second-half.

Centre O'Driscoll scored his 32nd Heineken Cup try and Leinster's third four minutes after the restart before new Ireland skipper Heaslip got the vital bonus point try after 53 minutes.

Leinster led 26-17 at that stage but couldn't push on to further boost their try tally, with a penalty apiece from Steenson and Sexton the only remaining scores.