Bourgoin 17 Munster 18
Ronan O'Gara kicked Munster to another famous Heineken Cup victory on French soil as he got his side off to a flying start in pool five.
After two successive defeats on the road in France, Munster were keen to get back to winning ways - but they found themselves running headlong into a thoroughly committed Bourgoin side.
The last time the two teams met Bourgoin ran out convincing winners 21-6 on home soil five years earlier - the last time Munster failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the Heineken Cup.
But after securing a priceless away win at the start of their campaign they proved they are once again going to be a force to be reckoned with in Europe.
In bitterly cold conditions, and with a passionate crowd urging them on, Bourgoin got the perfect start when impressive full-back Alexandre Peclier opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty.
Ronan O'Gara was quick to respond two minutes later with his first penalty and the game remained deadlocked for the next 30 minutes.
When the scoreboard moved again it was O'Gara once more who was responsible. After putting in an inch perfect grub kick over the home line, the Irish outside-half was taken out as he gave chase.
With the Munstermen looking to the Welsh international referee Nigel Whitehouse for the penalty try, the traffic policeman merely awarded a penalty.
O'Gara promptly gave his side the lead for the first time, but the teams were level less than two minutes later after Munster fumbled the restart.
From the scrum, Peclier took the pass from Christophe Laussucq and over went the drop goal.
Two minutes later, Bourgoin were ahead again when outside half Benjamin Boyet followed Peclier's example and dropped a textbook goal.
That score came a minute before the break, but O'Gara knocked over his third penalty to tie the scores once again.
Eight minutes into the second half O'Gara's ever-reliable boot sneaked Munster ahead once more after Marcus Horan had put pressure on the home defence just outside their 22 and earned a simple penalty.
But the Bourgoin pack galvanised themselves and French World Cup back row man Sebastien Chabal powered his way over for the only try of the game from close range.
Peclier missed the conversion, but he was on target with a penalty in front of the posts and that score stretched the home lead to five points.
But it was O'Gara who kept his cool to once again prove himself to be a matchwinner with two more penalties.