Perpignan 25 (13)
Stade Francais 21 (6)

Perpignan will play Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14 play-off final after the Catalans held on to defeat Stade Francais 25-21 in Lyon.

The table toppers had to withstand a late rally from the Ewen McKenzie's team, with substitute Sergio Parisse scoring a converted try 10 minutes from time to set up a grandstand finale.

The Paris club pushed on for further glory in the dying minutes but just came up short after a valiant effort, leaving Perpignan to squeeze through as their continue their quest for a first French title since 1955.

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Their victory was just reward for outscoring Stade by three tries to two, and would have been by a greater margin but for a hat-trick of early missed penalties by full-back Jerome Porical.

The 23-year-old did manage to slot a seventh-minute effort to open the scoring, but the Catalan supporters must have been casting envious eyes towards the on-looking Dan Carter, who was pitch-side to cheer on his team-mates.

Porical's trio of misses came as an amazing 14 penalties were conceded in the opening 20 minutes. Stade Francais full-back Lionel Beauxis landed a 40m drop-goal to level the scores, but he too was profligate with his place-kicking as he spurned a brace of penalties in the 19th and 21st minutes.

At 3-3 the game was evenly balanced, but Porical made light of his wayward kicking when he charged through for the game's opening try on 24 minutes after Julien Candelon had made the initial break. The full-back then converted his own try to make it 10-3, before a Beauxis penalty cut the deficit.

But Stade Francais were continually undone by their ill-discipline at the break-down, and Porical was on target again in the 34th minute when the Paris club conceded their ninth penalty of the half. He missed with a subsequent effort three minutes later, but the Catalans lead 13-6 as the teams departed for half time.

That advantage was then extended further when Maxime Mermoz beat Mirco Bergamasco to Gavin Hume's through kick in the 47th minute, capping an excellent game for the centre as he comprehensively outshone his opposite number Mathieu Bastareaud.

Porical was again on target with the conversion, lifting Perpignan 20-6 clear, and seemingly setting up an easy second half for the buoyant Catalans.

But just when it seemed that Stade Francais might crumble they were brought right back into the match by Beauxis' 50th-minute try, although there was more than a hint of off-side in the build up. The French international missed with the conversion but landed a penalty shortly after to narrow the gap back down to six points with 20 minutes left to play.

The fluctuating nature of a pulsating semi-final wasn't about to let up, however, and Mermoz was instrumental again when as he set up winger Julien Candelon for Perpignan's third try in the 61st minute. Porical missed with the extras on this occasion but they still had an 11-point cushion going into the closing 10 minutes.

Again, Stade Francais refused to roll over though, and substitute flanker Sergio Parisse breathed further life into the contest when he crashed following excellent build up play between Beauxis and Mark Gasnier. Beauxis' kick left just four points between the two sides, but try as they might the Parisians just couldn't get that last score.

It means Perpignan will now take on Clermont Auvergne in next Saturday's final, with the Catalans seeking their first French championship in 54 years - and their sixth in total - while their opponents are trying to break their unwanted duck following nine losing finals.

For Clermont it's a case of 'back where we belong' as they contest their third successive final, but Perpignan have taken part in Top 14's showpiece since losing 38-20 to Stade Francais in 2004.