Toulouse are the only club to win four Heineken Cup titles and they won the battle of the boots at Le Stadium for a 23-9 victory over Leicester Tigers that gives them an early advantage in a highly competitive Pool 2.
The kicking stalemate was broken in scintillating style in the 37th minute with a classy kick and chase effort from teenage centre Gael Fickou from a Tigers turnover, the unconverted try lighting up not only the half but a game that was an unrelenting war of attrition.
This was the seventh tournament meeting between these giants of the European game with previous meetings between the former champions standing at 3-3 and that mutual respect was evident in a cat-and-mouse opening, Toby Flood and Luke McAlister exchanging a brace of penalties.
There was plenty of thunder and bone-shuddering collisions but South African prop Gurthro Steenkamp was sent to the sin bin after deliberately tripping Scott Hamilton and the Tigers went ahead through Flood's third strike on target while Toulouse were a man down.
McAlister nudged Toulouse further ahead with his third, fourth, fifth and sixth penalties in just 14 minutes as the Tigers started to crack under relentless pressure from a Toulouse pack in which Louis Picamoles was immense.
And the home side showed all their European experience in closing the game down for the four points and leaving the Tigers with nothing for their efforts.
