Inspired by their peerless captain Sergio Parisse, Stade Francais finally broke their European trophy duck at the fifth attempt with a dominating victory over Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup Final at BT Murrayfield.
The Italian skipper was an obvious man of the match after scoring his side’s first try to rally them from an early deficit and then marshalling them to almost complete control of territory after half-time where they added two more scores to finish off the West Countrymen.
Centres Jonathan Danty and Geoffrey Doumayrou scored the second half tries as Stade exerted almost complete control woith a dominating scrummage and suffocating defence.
Greig Laidlaw got on just after half-time but the Scotland captain was unable to stop the tide of blue in what was his last game for Gloucester. It was also a disappointing night for countryman Matt Scott, whose pass was intercepted for Stade’s crucial second try and was replace soon afterwards.
It was a particularly sweet win for Stade not just because of previous European heartbreak but because the club were almost wound up two months ago by an aborted takeover by Paris rivals Racing 92.
Instead the club have gone on a tear since those plans were dropped and now have an opportunity to qualify for the Champions Cup next season via the play-offs.
In front of a good crowd with Gloucester fans in the majority on a cool and misty night the opening exchanges were cagey, with both sides content to kick and chase.
Stade showed a greater willingness to attack with ball in hand but they were too intricate for their own good after 14 minutes played.
Parisse was twice involved with a couple of off-loads opening up Gloucester on the right. But Danty’s pass to Jonathan Ross was not of the same quality and Jonny May stepped in for the interception, racing untouched for 70 metres for the score at the other end, Billy Burns converting.
Stade had the upper hand in the scrums forcing former All Black John Afoa off after only 20 minutes but the West Country side stretched their lead when the French interfered with scrum-half Willi Heinz and Burns kicked a 40 metre penalty.
Stade settled a little and when Gloucester were caught at the breakdown, Jules Plisson got them on the scoreboard with a penalty from 45 metres.
But Stade continued to look the better side with ball in hand and after Bonneval nearly got away in the 22, they turned scrappy ball into an unlikely try.
Will Genia tried a speculative chip kick close to the posts with men outside, but lock Hugh Pyle got above Heinz to knock it back and Parisse simply swept up the loose ball and fell over the line for the easiest try he’ll ever score.
Plisson converted and there were more troubles for Gloucester when their captain Heinz took out Bonneval with a late challenge leading with a forearm and was shown a yellow card.
Tempers boiled over when Lewis Ludlow charged Genia at a ruck and started a scrap on the touchline but no cards were shown and the scores stayed tied at half-time.
Laidlaw replaced Heinz at the end of the sin-bin period but Gloucester were making too many errors and were pinned inside their 22. Plisson missed a long but makeable penalty and Camara couldn’t hold a poor pass from Danty as Stade piled on the pressure.
Gloucester did raise the siege and full-back Tom Marshall on just couldn’t get the balld won before it ran in goal, but then the English contrived to lose a near carbon copy of the try they scored in the first half.
They making ground up the right but Scott’s pass was intercepted by Camara, and the French swiftly moved it from the wing to Bonneval to Danty, the centre racing the last 50 metres for a counterattack try which went unconverted.
Stade threw on experienced hands in former Springboks Morne Steyn and Willem Alberts but it was Doumayrou who had the decisive intervention with nine minutes left as the French continued to turn the screw.
The centre took the ball going backwards outside the Gloucester 22 but stepped away from Mark Atkinson’s tackle and weaved his way through a fractured defensive line for a solo try converted by Steyn.
The stand-off made it a gap of two converted tries with a long penalty with five minutes left but even though Lions back row Ross Moriarty went through for Gloucester’s second try with two minutes remaining and Burns converted, it was scant consolation for the Cherry and Whites.
Att: 24,584
Gloucester Rugby: T Marshall; C Sharples, M Scott, M Atkinson, J May; B Burns, W Heinz (c); J Hohneck, R Hibbard, J Afoa; T Savage, J Thrush; R Moriarty, L Ludlow, B Morgan.
Replacements: Y Thomas for Hohneck 60, P McAllister for Afoa 21, M Galarza for Savage 60, F Clarke for Thrush 76, G Laidlaw for Heinz 43, B Twelvetrees for Scott 62.
Stade Français Paris: H Bonneval; W Vuidarvuwalu, G Doumayrou, J Danty, D Camara; J Plisson, W Genia; H Van der Merwe, R Bonfils, R Slimani; H Pyle, P Gabrillagues; A Burban, J Ross, S Parisse (c)
Replacements: L Panis for Bonfils 73, P Alo Emile for Slimani 40, W Alberts for Pyle 67, R Lakafia for Burban 59, J Dupuy for Genia 69, M Steyn for Plisson 67, J Sinzelle for Camara 73.
Ref: John Lacey (IRFU)