Stade Toulousain 42 (13)
Stade Francais 16 (10)

European specialists Stade Toulousain are just one game away from a record sixth Heineken Cup final after trouncing arch rivals Stade Francais 42-16 on a sun-kissed afternoon in south west France.

The Parisians held on for an hour, even having the temerity to open the scoring through Rodrigo Roncero’s 19^th-minute try, but Toulouse finally broke their defensive shackles as they cut loose in the closing quarter.

Man-of-the-match Yannick Jauzion scored a crucial try to edge them ahead just before half-time, while later scores from Patricio Albacete and Cedric Heymans added the flourish after Guy Noves’ team rolled out their sublime champagne rugby in the second period.

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Fly-half David Skrela added 27 points with the boot – via seven penalties and three conversions – with the outclassed Parisians ending in some disarray due to injuries, injudicious team selection and ill-discipline.

Max Guazzini’s team now face a hollow end to the season as they contemplate another year without trophies – or even the merest hint of glory – and the arrival of new head coach Michael Cheika can’t come soon enough on this evidence.

Their performance wasn’t aided by the bizarre decision to drop England flanker James Haskell from the match-day squad, with the move looking suspiciously like revenge for the player not returning for club duty during the Six Nations. If that was the case – and all parties were remaining tight-lipped, although Haskell confirmed to frenchrugbyclub.com that he was not injured – then it was gamble that backfired spectacularly.

But that is for another day – for now we should rejoice in the triumph of style and substance that was Stade Toulousain, with the south west giants putting on an exhibition of free-running rugby after they had earlier worn down the Stade Francais defence.

The match took a while to ignite as both sides felt each other out during a tense opening quarter, but Stade Francais just about deserved the lead when it arrived via Roncero’s try after the bullocking prop muscled over from close range following good build-up play from Hugo Southwell, Noel Oelschig and Lionel Beauxis. The latter duly slotted the conversion to make it 0-7, prompting the home fans into a raucous show of support as they urged their heroes on.

The boots of Skrela (two pens) and Beauxis (one) then combined to leave it 6-10 approaching the interval before Jauzion displayed strength and stealth to force his way over after mounting Toulouse pressure. Skrela’s touchline conversion then ensured the home side went in 13-10 to the good.

A tense second half appeared on the cards and the opening five minutes saw a volley of penalties as Toulouse opened up a 19-16 lead after a series of needless infringements by both sides.

It remained like that as the clock edged towards the hour mark, but Toulouse’s increasing dominance finally told as Argentine lock Albacete crossed for their second try after yet another sweeping move that traversed the pitch.

France skipper Thierry Dusautoir was inches away from adding a third try just four minutes later – but he failed to hold a difficult off-load – before two more Skrela penalties all but sealed the victory.

There was still time for Heymans to cross six minutes from time, after a sublime kick through from replacement full-back Maxime Medard, and Stade Francais’ woe was completed as they finished with 14 men following Simon Taylor’s late yellow card.

Stade Toulousain will now play defending champions Leinster at the same impressive venue on May 1st, with Biarritz at home to Munster the following day as the prospect of an al-French final in Paris looms ever larger.

Stade Francais
Tries: Roncero
Convs: Beauxis
Pens: Beauxis (3)