TOULOUSE KICKED OFF the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup with a valuable 25-20 comeback victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm to move into the driving seat in Connacht’s Pool 5.

The English side completed just half of their 14 lineouts — and missed twice as many tackles with 36 — as their French visitors carved out a victory in the second half, Sébastien Bézy’s try just after the hour mark, as well a conversion and a later penalty by Thomas Ramos, proving the decisive scores in an entertaining encounter.

Scrum-half Joe Simpson scored two marvellous tries for the hosts in the opening 20 minutes and Gloucester led by 11 at the interval, but they failed to register a score in the second half as Toulouse racked up 16 unanswered points.

Ramos kicked four penalties in all, with Romain Ntamack landing another and Zack Holmes grabbing the game’s opening score with a drop goal.

Gloucester take a losing bonus point from their opener but with a home defeat in gameweek one, their tournament now hangs by a thread.