The Scarlets gave three-time champions Toulon a huge fright after letting them race into an 18 point advantage as they took the lead in the second-half before finally falling 21-20.

The French giants scored at a point a minute in the opening quarter-of-an-hour as they punished the reigning Guinness PRO 12 champions.

Toulon crossed for two tries and looked in complete control of their opening game in Pool 5 of the Champions Cup.

Scrum half Eric Escande intercepted a pass from opposite number Aled Davies from a line-out near half-way to scamper 40 metres to the line and then skipper Guilhem Guirado rounded off a thrilling break out from the 22 with a corner try.

Outside half Mattheu Belleau converted Escande’s try and the Scarlets were reeling before the first quarter was completed.

Belleau then added a penalty to stretch the lead to 18 points and the visitors were staring down the barrel of a potentially horrible defeat.

But they were eventually able to get their hands on some possession, found a way to stop the home side’s power runners and at least got some points on the board before the break when Leigh Halfpenny kicked a penalty against his former club.

Home full back Hugo Bonneval was then sent to the sin-bin for taking out Aled Davies at the breakdown and the Scarlets almost scored at the end of the first half with a one man advantage. Johnny McNicholl reached the line after a sweeping move from right to left, but lost the ball in the act of scoring.

But the Scarlets made their extra man count at the start of the second half when McNicholl leapt above Chris Ashton to pick off a cross-kick from Rhys Patchell to bag a try that Halfpenny converted.

Things got even better eight minutes later when the Scarlets, Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Williams knifed through for a try that he converted to make it a one point game.

Now it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy and when Halfpenny stepped up to kick a penalty on the hour it was the PRO12 champions who were ahead after scoring 20 unanswered points.

The lead didn’t last long, though, because four minutes later Tadhg Beirne was penalised at the breakdown and Francois Trinh-Duc regained the lead for his side with a 30 metre penalty.

The drama didn’t end there – Halfpenny shot a wide-angled penalty wide of the mark and Sebastien Tillous-Borde was held up over the line in the 81st minute.

In the end the Scarlets left with a losing bonus point, but it could have been so much more. Now they have five days to recover before hosting Bath at Parc Y Scarlets in what is now a must-win game.

Scorers: Toulon: Tries: E Escande, G Guirado; Con: M Belleau; Pens: M Belleau, F Trinh-Duc. Scarlets: Tries: J McNicholl, L Halfpenny; Cons: L Halfpenny 2; Pens: L Halfpenny 2