Stade Toulousain ran in four tries to beat Harlequins 33-21 on Sunday afternoon to seal their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

The three-time champions now have an unassailable six-point lead in Pool 5, although they will still be keen to win away to Sale Sharks next weekend to secure a home berth.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde opened the scoring with his 19th-minute penalty for the hosts, but the home side were given a scare when Harlequins full-back Mike Brown then followed in four minutes later for the game's first try.

Nick Evans added the conversion to put Harlequins 3-7 up, but Stade responded with two more Elissalde penalties before Florian Fritz touched down after an excellent intercept break from Cedric Heymans.

Their 16-7 half-time advantage was extended further when flanker Jean Bouilhou scored Stade's second try soon after the restart, and Harlequins' problems mounted when prop Ceri Jones was then yellow-carded on 56 minutes.

Heymans capitalised to add Stade's third try just two minutes after and the home side secured their attacking bonus - and quarter-final berth - when Maxime Médard grabbed their fourth with quarter of an hour to go.

England winger Ugo Monye scored twice in the dying minutes as Stade eased off the gas, but Toulouse had already done enough to ensure their 12th quarter-final appearance in 15 seasons. They join fellow French side Biarritz as the only other team to have guaranteed their presence in the last eight following the weekend's games.

On Saturday, Top 14 leaders Clermont Auvergne also took a massive step towards the Heineken Cup quarter finals with a 27-7 home win over the Ospreys, the pre-weekend Pool 3 leaders.

The French side were given a shock when winger Tommy Bowe opened the scoring with an eight-minute try for the Welsh visitors, but Brock James' reliable boot gradually got the hosts back into the match as he kicked three penalties and a drop-goal to earn them a 12-7 half-time lead.

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James missed two subsequent penalties after the break, but Clermont stretched their lead when Ospreys full-back Lee Byrne made a hash of a the fly-half's high ball and enabled skipper Aurélien Rougerie to tee up Julien Malzieu for an easy run-in.

James' conversion hit a post - his second brush with the woodwork on a tricky afternoon for kicking - but the Ospreys' hopes of a defensive bonus were then further hit when prop Adam Jones was sin-binned with 10 minutes to go.

The visitors continued to attack but were undone on the break in the closing minutes when Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga intercepted a floated pass to score the home side's second try and seal the win. James' conversion made it 27-7, setting up Clermont perfectly for next weekend's away game at point-less Viadana.

The Italians went down 47-8 at Leicester Tigers earlier in the afternoon, with the English outfit now leading Clermont by one point going into the final weekend. But while Clermont can concentrate on winning - with a bonus - in Italy, the Tigers must travel to Wales to face the Ospreys in what should be an explosive showdown.

Biarritz Olympic had earlier became the first side to seal their quarter-final berth in the Heineken Cup, despite going down 23-8 at Gloucester.

The Basque club progress thanks to their previously unblemished record - they went into the match with four wins from four - and also because Gloucester failed to get the attacking bonus.

That combination means the French side go into next weekend's home game against Glasgow Warriors with an uncatchable six-point advantage in Pool 2.

Victory at Kingsholm was always going to be a tough assignment, especially after Biarritz lost a host of players to injury during the week, and so it proved. The home side were 13-3 up at half time thanks to a Lesley Vainikolo try and eight points from the boot of fly-half Nicky Robinson.

Robinson added another penalty shortly after the restart, and the Gloucester raised hopes of a possible attacking bonus when Tim Molenaar went over with 14 minutes left. But Biarritz totem Imanol Harinordoquy scored for the visitors in the 76th minute, thus assuring the Basques will have a week to prepare of their final game as they seek the victory which should guarantee them a home quarter-final.

Earlier, Stade Francais edged to a 15-13 home win against Bath to take themselves to the edge of qualification for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

The Paris outfit had two Julien Arias tries to thank for their victory, with both scores coming in the first half as they opened up a 15-3 lead. But Bath, who had nothing but pride to play for, rallied with a Michael Claassens try just before the interval, and threatened a massive upset as they closed the gap to just two points following Nicky Little's 42nd-minute penalty.

That kick proved the only score of the second period, with Stade's Lionel Beauxis hitting a post with a later effort that may have settled the home team's nerves. As it is, they will just be happy to have got the win, a result which lifted them four points clear of Ulster in Pool 4 with just one match to go. That final game is away to Edinburgh next weekend, with Ulster - who beat Edinburgh 21-13 on Friday night - travelling to Bath.

Stade's second-half nervousness was in stark contrast to their bright opening as they dominated the early exchanges. Beauxis and Little landed a penalty each to lave it 3-3 after 20 minutes before Arias latched on to a Beauxis kick through to score the game's first try.

Ten minutes later the international winger doubled up when he rounded off a sweeping back move to grab his and Stade's second try of the afternoon. At that stage it seemed Stade might run away with the tie completely, but Claassen's try just before the break brought Bath right back into contention, setting up a nervy second-half for the Parisians.

Stade Toulousain's hopes of progressing were also boosted on Saturday afternoon after Cardiff Blues beat Sale Sharks 36-19. The result left both Cardiff and Sale on 13 points with one game left, one point behind Stade - who are at home to bottom club Harlequins on Sunday. Victory in that match would give them a minimum of a five point lead, although if they can also notch up an attacking bonus they will guarantee qualification ahead of their away trip to Sale next weekend. 

Brive, meanwhile, still remain point-less after going down 27-10 at defending champions Leinster in Pool 6. The hosts led 7-0 at half-time thanks to a 25th-minute penalty try and Johnny Sexton conversion, with Isa Nacewa adding a second try four minutes after the interval.

Sexton again converted to make it 14-0, but Brive responded well with Retief Uys going over for the French side on the hour mark. Gordon D'Arcy's try six minutes later reaffirmed Leinster's lead, but Scott Spedding replied for Brive before Brian O'Driscoll completed the scoring in the final minute.

The other French side in action over the weekend was defending Top 14 champions Perpignan, who crashed to their fourth defeat in five group games as they slumped to a 34-0 defeat away to Northampton Saints in Pool 1. The defeat was their fifth in their last six games in all competitions.