The pleasure of winning in France on the opening evening of European competition may have been diluted for Northampton by Toulon’s limited interest in the Challenge Cup, but to register a half-century of points in an environment so different from that of the Guinness Premiership will have sent them home happy enough, especially with the form of their young players.

Stephen Myler kicked 19 points at the Stade Félix Mayol, Joe Ansbro scored two of their seven tries and Courtney Lawes, the England Under-20 lock, did not take a backward step. “You can always expect a noisy and intimidating atmosphere,” Jim Mallinder, the Northampton director of rugby, said. “But this competition is important for momentum. You get into good habits — those of playing well and winning.”

Toulon have plenty of high-quality players in their squad but chose to leave out eight of their nine internationals and Tana Umaga, their head coach, insists that his job is to do well in the Top 14, in which Toulon are eleventh. “We’ll find out how damaging this game has been in a couple of days, when we’ve seen what’s written about it,” the former New Zealand captain said, conscious that his position is considered uncertain.

Umaga had to watch his players beaten at the breakdown, where Scott Gray, the Northampton open-side flanker, had a fine game. The visiting side possessed threats all over the field from turnover ball, none more dangerous than Ben Foden, making only his third start at scrum half. They had only to play neat, composed rugby to make ground but they varied their game well, Myler’s kicking gave them a cushion and by half-time they were virtually out of sight. A swerving 50-metre run by Foden created the pick of the three first-half tries for Ansbro and Paul Diggin had been on the pitch for hardly 30 seconds as a blood replacement before he had scored.

The bonus-point try took time to come after the interval, Chris Ashton collecting Bruce Reihana’s grub-kick, and Foden registered a delightful chip-and-chase try before giving way to Lee Dickson on the ground where, 12 years ago, Northampton became the first English club to win in the new European tournament.

Scorers: Toulon: Penalty goal: Fauque (3min). Northampton: Tries: Lamont (10), Ansbro 2 (16, 69), Diggin (32), Ashton (58), Foden (63), Dickson (79). Conversions: Myler 5, Everitt. Penalty goals: Myler 3 (13, 25, 28).

Scoring sequence (Toulon first): 3-0, 3-7, 3-10, 3-17, 3-20, 3-23, 3-30 (half-time), 3-35, 3-42, 3-49, 3-56.

Toulon: S Falconetti; M Andreu (rep: O Ai'i, 53), OGrimaud, T Pisi, C Imbert (rep: L Rooney, 45); SFauque, A Giacobazzi (rep: D Vidal, 71); N Agnesi (rep: Kubriashvili, 57), P Fitzgerald (rep: A Muleta, 73), D Kubriashvili (rep: J Filitoga, 52), Y Maestri, JSuta, S Toevalu (rep: O Missoup, 60), T Sourice, FAuelua.

Northampton: B Reihana (rep: P Diggin, 64); CAshton, J Ansbro, J Downey (rep: Diggin, 32-40), S Lamont; S Myler (rep: B Everitt, 71), B Foden (rep: L Dickson, 64); T Smith, D Hartley (rep: PShields, 59), E Murray (rep: S Tonga'uhia, 64), IFernández Lobbe (rep: M Lord, 59), C Lawes, MHopley (rep: B Lewitt, 68), S Gray, R Wilson.

Referee: P Fitzgibbon (Ireland). Attendance: 9,000.