Gloucester's mission improbable ended in hapless failure at Kingsholm on Sunday as French champions Stade Francais sent them crashing out of the Heineken Cup.

The Zurich Premiership club slumped to a first home defeat in their top-flight European history, as Stade qualified for the last eight as third seeds - claiming a home tie against Rob Andrew's Newcastle on April 2 or 3.

Gloucester went into the pool six finale needing to win with an avalanche of points and tries - a legacy of suffering away defeats earlier in their cup campaign against Stade and Ulster.

But Stade, runners-up in 2001, showed no intention of waving them through and reduced Gloucester to ruins by building a 27-0 interval advantage.

Gloucester were never at the races - and despite producing an improved second-half performance, led by Terry Fanolua's powerful midfield running, their comeback was comfortably snuffed out.

Wing Christophe Dominici, centre Stephane Glas and flanker Mauro Bergamasco scored the French side's tries - with fly-half David Skrela kicking two penalties and three conversions.

Gloucester joined the likes of Wasps, Bath, Llanelli and Castres on this season's cup scrap-heap.

The pressure is now on rugby director Nigel Melville and Dean Ryan to secure cup qualification for next term.

On the latest evidence, that cannot be taken for granted. Powergen Cup quarter-final opponents Bristol could test them next Saturday, while a top-six Premiership finish is far from certain.

Gloucester made too many individual errors to even remotely threaten a quality outfit like Stade, whose back division proved far superior and whose forwards were quicker in thought and deed in close-quarter combat.

Skrela ran the show superbly, while Bergamasco and his fellow flanker Pierre Rabadan hunted tirelessly for every scrap of possession.

Gloucester, in comparison, had no such quality - and even a scoreless second period, after the horrors of the first, could not provide consolation for a disgruntled 13,000 crowd.

The hosts received a welcome boost when England wing James Simpson-Daniel made an earlier-than-expected return from shoulder surgery.

Simpson-Daniel had been sidelined since early December, but his comeback lifted Gloucester's hopes of attaining their try target - as did fly-half Duncan McRae's reappearance following knee trouble

Stade made all the early running, though - and after Skrela booted a second-minute penalty, they knocked the stuffing out of Gloucester with a well-worked try.

Gloucester produced some promising adventure as they probed for their opening score, but it all turned sour during a devastating 11-minute spell when Stade claimed three converted touchdowns which ended the game as a contest.

The Parisians prised Gloucester open on 14 minutes, full-back Juan Martin Hernandez placing a clever kick over their defence and Dominici finishing off in clinical fashion.

Skrela slotted the touchline conversion.

But worse was to come for the home side, as they gave Stade two late Christmas presents.

Lock Alex Brown saw his pass intercepted 30 metres out, allowing Glas a simple unopposed run to the line; then centre Terry Fanolua spilled possession just inside Stade's half, and Gloucester were again punished ruthlessly.

Glas sprinted deep into the Gloucester half - and although home wing Marcel Garvey bravely got back to make a try-saving tackle, Stade merely recycled possession for Bergamasco to power over.

Skrela kicked both conversions and then added a penalty before half-time to leave the Gloucester players wandering around Kingsholm like punch-drunk boxers.

Gloucester's European dream had rapidly disintegrated into a living nightmare - and there was no way back, given the size of their interval deficit.

The second half was all about damage-limitation for Jake Boer's men. But they could scarcely respond, so numbed were they by a hopelessly one-sided first period.

Stade march on - and with Newcastle next up in Paris, they will fancy their chances of taking another step towards Edinburgh and this season's final on May 22.

But the home side were left to reflect on their first blank score-sheet at Kingsholm since February 13 1993 when Bath beat them 20-0 in a league game.