Stade Ernest Wallon became the latest ground to stage a Betfred Super League match as Toulouse Olympique welcomed Huddersfield Giants; their first opponents in the competition. The team from Languedoc earned their place as the second French team in Super League Europe by beating Featherstone Rovers in last year's Million Pound Game.

With minimal recruitment to add to the squad which achieved the promotion, the question on most observers' lips was: could they compete at this level and would they secure a place beyond this season, or go straight back down to the Championship?

Coach Sylvain Houles was confident in his players, apart from the unsettled Mark Kheirallah, whose full-back spot was filled by new captain Tony Gigot.

The Giants started off with with a mistake - Leroy Cudjoe gifting the hosts posession and territory with a high shot on Taioalo Vaivai. Moving the ball out the left, TOXIII set up Matty Russell to score in the corner.

Chris Hankinson couldn't convert from out wide, but Toulouse had scored their first Super League points and led 4-0.

And they made their defensive mark in the next Giants sets, tackling Leroy Cudjoe into touch on the fifth play. The Giants gifted them field posession again with a penalty for breaking from the scrum be before the ball was out.

Huddersfield got on the front foot after nine minutes when Louis Senior gained posession in a onr-on-one tackle. They couldn't convert the advantage into points, but held Olympique in their own half in defence.

But the French team held out as the Giants dominated territory for five minutes or so, before marching downfield - only to waste the opportunity of a scrum in the Claret and Golds' 20m.

Ilias Bergal was the next to score, running on to a smart Gigot kick into the corner and dot it down under pressure. Hankinson made no mistake with his kick from the right-hand touchline and Toulouse were in double figures at 10-0.

But Huddersfield prop Luke Yates cut the deficit to 10-4 on 25 minutes, and Olly Russell kicked the extras from in front of the posts to make it 10-6.

Left winger Innes Senior levelled the score when Danny Levi moved laterally before throwing the ball to Senior in space and he darted over. There was no touchline conversion from Russell, though.

Jake Wardle almost added another try in the same corner when Gigot failed to knock a kick dead, but the video referee had a close look at Huddersfield's left edge and ruled them in front of the kicker. Toulouse cleared the danger with a relieving penalty.

Senior's twin brother Louis made no mistake running a try in in the other corner, though. Russell converted and the established Super League side led the newcomers 10-16 at the break.

The Giants kept up the spressure when the match resumed, dominating the opening five minutes and forcing a repeat set before Jake Wardle successfully pounced on a Theo Fages kick to score next to the posts. Russell's conversion took the lead out to 12 points at 10-22.

The visitors promised back-to-back scores when they troubled the video ref again, but were held up under the postsThe signs were getting ominous for the home teamthough: the Giants had scored four unanswered tries since TOXIII held that 10-point opening lead.

The Olympique players were beginning to look tired, with their heads dropping – making errors in attack and giving away penalties in defence.

That gave the Giants to chance to go three scores in front with a kickable penalty 15 metres out, which Russell duly slotted over for a 10-24 score.

With Just over 60 minutes gone, the Giants won a scrum in the Toulouse 20m, moved the ball the left and that man Wardle was there to cross over for his second try. Russell kicked his fourth conversion and fifth goal.

Just two minutes later, former Australian State of Origin player strolled over to the right of the posts, leaving Russell with a simple kick for his sixth goal and Huddersfield's 10-36 lead.

And it showed no sign of stopping there, with Huddersfield applying relentless pressure and keeping Toulouse pinned down in their own red zone. 

To add insult to injury, Olly Ashall-Bott jogged through a disorganised and switched-off right-hand defence by Toulouse and scored a simple try. Russell converted from in front of the posts.

It looked all over, but centre Guy Armitage notched up Toulouse's third try as a consolation score for the hosts in the final minutes.

It was a reality check and a baptism of fire for Houles's side - and raises serious question about how competitive their 24-strong squad can really be.

Score Progression: 0-0, 4-0,  8-0, 10-0,  10-4, 10-6, 10-10, 10-14, 10-16 . Half-Time: 10-20, 10-22, 10-24, 10-28, 10-30, 10-24, 10-36, 10-40, 10-42. Full Time.

Half-Time: 10-16.

Full-Time: 10-42.

TOXIII: Gigot; Bergal (T), Armitage (T), Vaivai, M Russell (T); Albert, Hankinson (G); Cunningham, Dixon, Peyroux, Navarette, White, Bretherton. Replacements: Pellissier, Puech, Sangare, Paulo.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea; I Senior (T), Wardle (2T), Cudjoe, L Senior (T); Fages,  Russell (6G, Pen); Yates (T); Jones,, McQueen (T), English, Levi, Hill.  Replacements: Ashall-Bott (T), Trout, Greenwood, Ikahihifo.

Referee: Robert Hicks

Venue: Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse.