Leicester 9 Toulouse 5:Leicester memorably sent four-time European champions Toulouse skidding out of the Heineken Cup at a snow-swept Welford Road to book their place in this season's quarter-finals.

The Tigers will be away to Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon in early April, where the weather should be considerably warmer than on an Arctic east midlands afternoon when Toulouse saw their hopes of a fifth European title plunged into cold storage.

Outhalf Toby Flood was the Leicester matchwinner, making light of punishing conditions by kicking three penalties, while Toulouse’s Lionel Beauxis and Luke McAlister crucially missed five shots at goal between them.

Flood, though, could have gone from hero to villain when he was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on 12 minutes from time, but the Tigers held out by showcasing all their trademark resilience.

Toulouse wing Yann Huget scored the only try in a Pool Two encounter dominated by the incessant wintry weather.