Paris (AFP) - Five-time European champions Toulouse made the best possible start in the new-format Champions Cup with a gutsy 18-13 Pool A win over Munster at a freezing, foggy Thomond Park on Sunday.
Three English teams also got off to winning starts with leaders Saracens holding off a fierce Edinburgh onslaught to win 30-26, second-placed Sale thrashing Ulster 39-0 and Leicester edging Ospreys 23-17.
French side Toulouse arrived in Limerick for the first time since their hammering in 2017 and faced conditions that were almost as daunting as the opposition. Fierce cold and a heavy fog draped Thomond Park as the game got underway.
"It was bitterly cold out there but we warmed up," said Toulouse flanker Anthony Jelonch.
Munster fly-half Joey Carbery missed an early penalty but he was on hand after 10 minutes to dart down the blindside after Munster had won a line-out close to the Toulouse line.
His conversion made it 7-0 but midway through the first half Toulouse were level, a sweeping switch of attack creating an overlap for wing Matthis Lebel who did well to squeeze in at the corner.
Thomas Ramos converted and added a penalty to put Toulouse ahead, although Carbery levelled it up just before the break.
Three minutes into the second half, the visitors silenced the home crowd as Julian Marchand popped the ball for Antoine Dupont who offloaded in turn to replacement wing Lucas Tauzin who went over.
Ramos missed the conversion but eight minutes from time nailed another penalty to open up an eight-point lead.
Carbery pulled back a penalty to secure the defensive bonus point but even with Dupont off the field with a yellow card, the home side were unable to steal it at the death.
"That was a real battle," said Jelonch."We won this showdown and I think that's our reference point away from home."
Scottish fire
Saracens, who won the last of their three European titles in 2019, had an early shock as South African prop Luan de Bruin barged through Owen Farrell to open the scoring in their Pool B game.
Argentina fly-half Emiliano Boffelli converted and was to prove a thorn in Saracens' side with 16 points in total.
Saracens hit back with tries through Elliot Daly and Ben Earl but still trailed 16-12 at half-time.
Six minutes into the second half, Daly put a grubber kick in behind the Scottish defence, giving Alex Lewington a straightforward collect and score to put Sarries ahead.
Farrell and Boffelli traded kicks before replacement hooker Tom Woolstencroft crashed over from close range to put Saracens 30-19 up.
Edinburgh kept going, in spite of two late yellows, and Wes Goosen's late try meant they returned to Scotland with at least a defensive bonus point.
"Credit to Edinburgh," said player of the match Daly."We can be very happy with today, four tries and a win - that's all you can ask.
"Everyone put an absolute shift in, we go forward to next week looking for another win."
First-half tries from Tom Curry and Dan Du Preez took Sale into a 15-0 lead over Ulster in Pool B.
But the home side really turned it on in the second half as fly-half Rob du Preez, replacements Tom Curtis and Byron McGuigan, and wing Arron Reed all skated through.
Sale's six tries ensured they also took a bonus point from the game.
Welsh side Ospreys led Leicester 10-6 at half-time but the English side turned it round in the second half to take the points.
Morgan Morris and Nicky Smith scored Ospreys' two tries, Leicester replying through Harry Potter and a brilliant solo effort from Anthony Watson.
The 24 teams are divided into two pools of 12 but each team only plays two others, home and away, with the top eight in each pool progressing to the last 16.
The format of the competition has changed this year with the inclusion for the first time of South African franchises alongside Europe's finest.
