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A red, white and green corner of France

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The south of France is used to its influx of visitors, enjoying warm sunshine, glorious scenery, serious wine and wonderful beaches. And there is also an out-of-season annual pilgrimage coloured in red, white and green.

This weekend Tigers make the trip to Toulouse. Many fans will have been before, most will have experienced other trips into France's rugby heartlands, and all will be looking forward to it.

Toulouse is a rugby city, like many in the deep south, and the locals love to share that passion for the game with visitors.

Bars and restaurants will have their red, white and green corners as Tigers come to town. If you ever lose touch with someone from Welford Road, a regular who usually stands or sits near you on matchday but that you haven’t seen for a while, then one of these bars on a European trip is a great place to start the search. And probably the most efficient.

A warm welcome from the hosts is, obviously, easier when so many of the visitors go home on the wrong end of a wake-up call against a team that often harbours some of the greatest talents in the world game.

Last time The Tig went to Toulouse, the hospitality made up for the biting-cold conditions, with an icy blanket covering the city in a pre-Christmas period and then being enveloped in freezing fog which rolled in off the river during the game.

There was colour, noise, smoke and passion aplenty from the stands and the home support warmed to a Toulouse side that cut loose when opportunities arose. The fact that they left a few chances out on the pitch and still won 22-11 was cold comfort for the Leicester faithful as they headed home with the memories but not the points.

Now we meet again and another emotional occasion awaits. Two top-class sides with two top-class sets of supporters. It's what the Heineken Cup is all about. Bon voyage.