Toulon coach Philippe Saint Andre sees success in the Amlin Challenge Cup as a key part of his attempts to establish his team among the continent's elite.
Saint Andre returned to France last summer after a lengthy spell in England with Gloucester and Sale Sharks and he has since set about making Toulon famous for more than just the profile of their big-name signings.
Toulon qualified for the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup thanks to a convincing 38-12 win over the Scarlets on Saturday and Saint Andre is now hoping for two more tournament victories and a European trophy.
"We're taking the Challenge Cup very seriously. It's a good competition," said Saint Andre, after his side ran in five tries at the Stade Felix-Mayol.
"We are a French team but I don't teach my players to lose.
"It's a good step. I remember with Sale we won the Challenge Cup and then went on to win the English league.
"At the beginning of the season we set two targets of finishing in the top six in the French league and reaching the quarter finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
"You have a lot of teams in the Challenge Cup that go on to do more. If we can do something like this this year and get some silverware it will be great for the players and for the club."
