The reaction of the two camps could hardly have been more polarised. Ulster, having earned their best result in the competition since beating Leicester 33-0 three years ago, were professionally restrained. But the grins were those of the cat that got the cream.

Toulouse coach Guy Noves, desperately disappointed with the way his team performed, simply closed the locker room door and kept the steam stewing under the stand at Ravenhill Road. That he didn't come out to explain the first-half capitulation is an action that is likely to be taken up later by the ERC.

But for Ulster coach Mark McCall and a couple of his players, the joy of the win was double-edged.

"The first 40 minutes were as good as anything we've played this year," he said. "But of course we're frustrated. We had some opportunities on their line for a fourth try but it just didn't happen.

"Still, we've got four points on the board and now we're facing a massive game against the Scarlets," he added. "This was a real pressure game today. To play the way we did shows great confidence, we played really well when we had the ball and when they had it we were knocking them down behind the gain line.

"While they had the ball we kept a really good defensive shape.We couldn't afford to slip up today and we didn't. We didn't expect to be 30-3 up at half time but we're really pleased with this performance."

In winger Andrew Trimble, Ulster have a benign destroyer. Placid and soft-spoken off the pitch, Trimble's two tries and fearless running were, next to David Humphreys' play, two of the delights of the performance. There was little surprise in the result but the scoreline was not expected, especially after just 40 minutes.

"It's not a position we're used to being in," said Trimble about the three first-half tries.

"To be that much up against a massive French side, but that's what the best sides do. They finish off games and that's what we did.

"The Munster game, the Connacht game, Cardiff and now Toulouse, we have been gradually building. That's what Munster do. They peak for the European Cup and that's what we want to do as well.

"Before the game we knew we could do it. Now a lot of other people know that we can do it. We always had the belief and maybe we made a few more believers today."

For Isaac Boss,who scored Ulster's second try, letting the bonus point slip away when Ulster had the momentum in the dying minutes and the French were stretched across the pitch, is an area demanding some improvement.

"We had one or two opportunities that we didn't make the most of from close range towards the end of the game," said the scrumhalf.

"We missed out on a couple of close range tries and that's something we've got to look at. I guess them being down to 14 men twice might have helped our cause a little bit. But we were also very happy with our defensive effort.

"Now it's a very big away trip. Llanelli are a very good side. We were lucky enough to beat them earlier on the first game of the season, so they'll be looking for revenge.

"We've got to treat games almost like a knock-out in that we can't afford to drop any. Next week we'll be under real pressure and for sure we can't bask in this glory."