Stade Francais 44 (16) Brive 16 (6)

Stade Francais turned in a five-star performance as they swept aside Brive to continue their recent resurgence in Top 14.

The Paris club ran in five tries in all - including four in a rampant second-half - to claim the bonus point win, with James Haskell again getting on the scoresheet - for his third try of the season - in front of on-looking England manager Martin Johnson, and forwards coaches John Wells and Graham Rowntree.

Haskell had earlier said he was determined to use next weekend's Heineken Cup tie against Edinburgh to underline his good form this season, but the former London Wasps flanker will be delighted to have caught Johnson's eye after the England coach made a late decision to attend the match in person.

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It was a mixed evening for England's other aspirants on show, especially the Brive contingent, as Stade Francais made it three successive bonus wins at home, and 17 points in just four games since Jacques Delmas and Didier Faugeron took over from sacked head coach Ewen McKenzie.

The team's growing confidence was in evidence from the start, although it was England fly-half Andy Goode who opened the scoring with a 30m drop-goal for the visitors. That, however, was as good as it got for Brive as they went on to suffer their fifth league defeat of a so far disappointing season. In contrast to Stade, they go into next week's Heineken Cup (against the Scarlets) undermined by poor form and sliding self-belief.

Stade's response (to going behind) was instantaneous with flanker Antoine Burban going over in the eighth minute for the game's first try. It was an indication of things to come for the home side, with returning No 8 Sergio Parisse featuring heavily in the build up as he made his first appearance of the season following an eight-week suspension for eye gouging while on international duty with Italy during the summer.

Noel Oelschig landed the conversion and two subsequent penalties to stretch the home side's lead, while Goode was successful with one attempt from three as Brive went in 16-6 down at half-time.

But if Brive held ambitions of grabbing a defensive bonus their plans were blown away soon after the restart as Stade began the second half in devastating fashion. Replacement centre Geoffroy Messina initiated the points-fest when he waltzed through a trio of defenders to score the home side's second try on 48 minutes, just three minutes after coming on for the injured Mathieu Bastareaud.

Then it was over to rugby league convert Mark Gasnier, with the Australian winger scoring twice in four minutes as the Parisians broke free. Former Leicester scrum-half Julian Dupuy kicked both conversions after coming on as a replacement for Oelschig, with Brive's only response to that point being another Goode penalty.

At 37-0 down with 20 minutes to play the Limousin club was facing humiliation, but the visitors gamely refused to crumble and South African born flanker Antonie Claassen scrambled over for a 69th-minute try after a period of sustained pressure near the Stade line. Claassen's try was a mini personal triumph on an otherwise forgettable night for Brive as he once more underlined why on-looking France coach Marc Lièvremont this week admitted he was considering naming him in the national squad as he seeks to throw his selection net over nationalised foreigners.

Unfortunately for Brive, however, Claassen's try merely led to Stade redoubling their efforts in the closing stages with Haskell rounding off the home side's scoring with a 73rd-minute try that rewarded another industrious evening. It must have also brought a smile to Johnson's face, although he missed the opportunity to watch Haskell's England colleague Tom Palmer, as the latter was rested ahead of the forthcoming Heineken Cup games.

Dupuy's final conversion made it 44-16 as Stade continued their resurgence under Delmas and Faugeron. It was also a happy first outing for Scottish full-back Hugo Southwell, who finally made his injury-delayed debut for the Paris club following his summer switch from Edinburgh.

Brive coach Laurent Seigne conceded afterwards that the result was "a huge disappointment" following their fourth away defeat of the season. "I think tonight is a real disappointment at this level. We have the right to lose, but not like tonight," he added.

Seigne did, though, have words of encouragement for England centre Jamie Noon, who battled throughout without any obvious reward. "When I see the investment of a guy like Jamie Noon, I tell myself that if all players have this attitude then we would have reduced the Paris score," he said.