Freddie Burns guides Tigers to triumph in Champions Cup
Burns scored 16 points including a try, before going off with cramp after 52 minutes but Tigers had the game won way before then against an insipid French side.
He won the last of five caps in New Zealand in 2014 but took advantage of some ragged opposition to hand in an application for the summer tour of Australia or the Saxons trip to South Africa.
Leicester ran in six tries in all, could have eight or nine and with if Owen Williams had landed the four goal kicks he missed the carnage could have been even greater.
After the events on Saturday that guaranteed an all-English semi-final, Leicester became the third Premiership representative in the last four - the first time that has happened since 2007.
It has also been seven years since the Tigers made it to the penultimate stage and they fancy their chances to knock over anyone, including Wasps and Saracens currently above them in the league, and win Europe's biggest prize for the first since Martin Johnson and co managed it in it 2002.
"We are the unpopular side to support. That is no problem - we know in one-off game we can win. If we go to a final, whoever that is against, it is a one-off game and you can win them. We have probably not been on the form we would like at different stages but when we get it right we can beat anyone."
Richard Cockerill, Leicester Director of Rugby
The influence of former New Zealand centre Aaron Mauger who Cockerill brought in as head coach last summer is getting more evident as Leicester seek to play a more expansive and less traditional Leicester game. The execution is not always spot-on but the Tigers are looking to more than stick it up their jumpers these days.
Cockerill added: "I brought him in to help the team evolve and develop and I think we are doing that."
Which is more than be said of Stade who are French champions but a more reliable form guide would have been a look at the current Top 14 which shows them languishing in 12th spot after a dismal season.
The England Jones hardly had time to settle into his seat before Manu Tuilagi opened the scoring after some hapless play by the visitors which helped explain their lowly domestic position.
Burns kicked the ball into the Stade 22 where full-back Djibril Camara made a hash of gathering and it went into touch. Camara hit the snooze button and Burns threw a quick line-out to Tuilagi who cantered in for an easy score.
A couple of Morne Steyn penalties kept the French in touch for the first quarter but it was game over when Leicester scored twice between the 31st and 34th minutes. Niki Goneva was put away after centre Peter Betham managed to draw three defenders and a neat read and interception by Burns saw the fly-half run in from 40 metres and settle the match before the break.
Stade got one back when former Leicester scrum-half Julien Dupuy was put away by Sergio Parisse but the revival was short lived as the Tigers cruised home.
