The Guinness Premiership champions claimed first-half scores through Matt Smith, Jack Cobden and Lewis Moody. Fly-half Billy Twelvetrees knocked over two conversions in his first appearance since his return to the club.
Head coach Richard Cockerill gave game-time to much of his squad as Tigers build towards the Guinness Premiership opener away to Sale Sharks next month. He gave starts to five summer signings with Joe Duffey and Geoff Parling in the forward pack, Anthony Allen at centre and James Grindal partnering Twelvetrees at half-back.
In front of a sizeable crowd on a warm evening at the picturesque Stade de Saint Affrique, Tigers got off to a searing start with two tries in the first seven minutes.
First, clean lineout ball allowed Grindal and Twelvetrees to set up Matt Smith on an angled run into the corner, and then scrum-half Grindal’s quickly-taken penalty created the space for Jack Cobden to force his way over on the right for another touchdown.
Montpelier hit back with their first try in the 12th minute when wing Jacques Boussuge pounced on a grubber kick behind the visitors’ defence.
Skipper Louis Deacon was the architect of Leicester’s third try two minutes later. The England lock's clever run round the corner opened a hole in the French side's defence and he found flanker Lewis Moody on his shoulder to run in unopposed.
Montpelier full-back Olivier Sarramea slotted a penalty midway through the half before former Tigers favourite Ollie Smith claimed a try on the left against his former club.
Sarramea’s second penalty brought the hosts back to within a point as Tigers led 19-18 at half-time.
Will Hurrell had to be alert to preserve the lead shortly after the restart, coming off his wing to clear Florian Nicot’s hacked kick on the edge of his 22.
It was a hard-fought encounter and both sides were reduced to 14 men in the 56th minute when Tigers back-rower Craig Newby and Montpelier openside Jerome Vallee were given yellow cards.
Tigers went behind for the first time midway through the second half when Sarramea kicked his third penalty.
The visitors almost fashioned an opportunity on the left but replacement wing Andrew Forsyth was unable to collect a flicked pass from Ben Woods before replacement prop Robbie Harris became the second Tigers player to receive a yellow card with 15 minutes remaining.
Sarramea’s fourth penalty extended the Montpelier lead to 24-19 with the game entering its final seven minutes.
But it needed smart thinking from Maxime Castell to foil Tigers moments later as the replacement claimed a loose ball ahead of Marcos Ayerza in his in-goal area after a Montpelier clearance had been charged down.
Tigers face Castres in Camares in the final game of their French trip on Saturday (6.30pm local time) before the match against neighbours Nottingham at Meadow Lane on Saturday, August 15 (4pm).
Leicester Tigers: Tonks, Cobden, M Smith, Allen, Hurrell, Twelvetrees, Grindal; Ayerza, Duffey, Cole, L Deacon (c), Parling, Newby, Moody, Pienaar.
Replacements: Davies, White, Harris, Kay, Green, Woods, Crane, Harrison, Staunton, J Murphy, Forsyth.
Montpelier: Sarramea, Boussuge, Nicot, O Smith, Max, Trinh-duc, Tomas; Toleafoa, Ladhuie, Douglas, Goze, De Marco, Ouedraogo, Vallee, Petitdemange.
