Warriors clinched a home European Challenge Cup quarter-final with another last-gasp victory secured by Dean Hammond’s dramatic try.
It looked like Warriors would have to travel in the knockout stages when they trailed 14-28 at half-time but they staged a superb second half fightback to claim a third successive last minute win.
Warriors again had to dig deep but their belief and persistence saw them home in a vastly improved second half performance which produced four tries, three in the last six minutes.
It appeared that Warriors would have to settle for a draw and three points when Tom Howe crossed for his second try of the match with two minutes to go but Chris Pennell was unable to add a difficult conversion from the right hand touchline.
But Stade gave away a penalty when normal playing time was up, Ryan Mills kicked to the corner, Warriors won the lineout and, just as they had against Bath two weeks ago, retained their composure to send Hammond over on the overlap.
Warriors made the perfect start when Howe crossed for his third try in two meetings with Stade after just minute when he supplied a powerful finish to a sustained attack.
Pennell added the conversion but Stade demonstrated that they had cme to play rugby by scoring three converted tries in a 17 minute spell.
Right wing Julien Arias broke free and put in a perfectly placed chip for number eight Ryan Chapuis to dot down.
Fly-half Jules Plisson added the conversion and found the target again when Stade’s pack attacked from a lineout and hooker Laurent Sempere drove over.
Stade scrum-half Arthur Coville then found a gap in Warriors’ defence and Plisson tagged on the conversion before Warriors produced another sustained attack and a first try for the club from Simon Kerrod who drove over under the posts for his first try for the club.
Pennell added the conversion but Stade restored their 14 points advantage just before half-time when powerhouse centre Jonathan Danty hit the line at pace and Plisson slotted the conversion.
Warriors were a transformed side in the second half as they retained possession superbly, built the pressure and denied Stade the opportunities to lift the siege.
Stade were still 14 points ahead with 20 minutes to go but Warriors made an important breakthrough when their patient approach work as finished by Sam Lewis.
Time was running out when Ollie Lawrence’s brilliant acrobatic finish at the cornerflag and Pennell’s touchline conversion pulled Warriors to within two points.
But they conceded a penalty straight from the restart which Sanchez slotted before Howe raced over to level the scores.
There were groans from the stands when Pennell’s conversion went wide but wild celebrations when Hammond crossed to complete a double over Stade and give Warriors their fifth win six Pool Two matches.
Warriors | 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Tom Howe, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Ben Te’o (Butler 71), 11 Dean Hammond, 10 Ryan Mills, 9 Jonny Arr (Heaney 56), 1 Ethan Waller (Black 56), 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Simon Kerrod, 4 Andrew Kitchener, 5 Michael Fatialofa (Barry 41), 6 Marco Mama, 7 Sam Lewis, 8 GJ van Velze (C) (Cox 21)
Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Callum Black, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Michael Heaney, 22 Will Butler, 23 Nick David
Timeline
4m | Howe try 5-0
5m | Pennell con 7-0
7m | Chapuis try 7-5
8m | Plisson con 7-7
20m | Sempere try 7-12
21m | Plisson con 7-14
24m | Coville try 7-19
25m | Plisson con 7-21
30m | Kerrod try 12-21
31m | Pennell con 14-21
38m | Danty try 14-26
39m | Plisson con 14-28
60m | Lewis try 19-28
74m | Lawrence try 24-28
75m | Pennell con 26-28
76m | Sanchez pen 26-31
78m | Howe try 31-31
80m | Hammond try 36-31