There's unity among the rugby fans in the bars of Toulouse
On the evidence of a lively bar in the centre of Toulouse on Saturday afternoon, the idea of 'entende cordiale' is alive and well among English and French rugby fans.
The Melting Pot was packed to the rafters with local Frenchmen sipping their glasses of beer, while visitors from Leicester drank pints and pitchers as if beer was going to be outlawed the following day.
Hanging from the ceiling were flags from numerous big European rugby clubs. This was a rugby supporters' home from home in the south of France.
On the walls were TVs showing the day's Heineken Cup action which included Exeter Chiefs' trip to champions Leinster.
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The support for Exeter grew and grew as the game reached a climax and, as Chiefs' fly-half Ignacio Mieres lined up a kick to tie the scres with the last action of the game, Tigers fans launched into the Chiefs' famous 'Tomahawk Chop' chant to will it over the bar.
Alas, they failed in their mission, but Exeter's 9-6 defeat was a seriously impressive first outing in the competition after battling to fifth place in last season's English league table.
Later on, Harlequins and Wasps also received the support of the travelling Leicester public and Toulouse fans cheered on Clermont as they beat the Llanelli Scarlets.
The sense of cross-Channel unity has emerged from the English and French clubs' battle with its Celtic neighbours over the future of the Heineken Cup.
The Aviva Premiership has signed a £152million deal with BT for coverage of its league over the next four years and "any future European competition" too.
As a result the English – and French clubs – have served notice to pull out of the biggest club competition in the world in 2014 unless the Scots, Welsh, Irish and Italians agree to a new format with better qualification criteria and a more even spread of monies accrued.
The battles rages on after two meetings and 10 hours of talks have produced nothing in the way of progress.
And the feeling in the Melting Pot was not one of reconciliation – but militancy.
"Why should English clubs have to fight tooth and nail in every round of the Premiership to try and gain Heineken Cup qualification when the Celtic countries get automatically entered?" said one Tigers fan as he cheered on the Chiefs.
"It's just wrong and I am fed up with the Celts not acknowledging the facts or being prepared to budge.
"If they continue to play hard ball, us and the French should just pull out and leave them to it. It would be a shame because it's a great competition but sometimes, you have to make a stand."
Didier Camberaux is wearing a Toulouse polo shirt at the bar with his name embroidered on the front opposite his club's emblem. He overhears our conversation. In the background, a cheer goes up as Exeter threaten the Leinster line.
"The French and the English must fight together on this," he says passionately, waving his hands around and speaking with an excellent grasp of the visitors' tongue.
"Our countries' best teams should play each other in our own league. We have big fans and big clubs and it is always a fantastic atmosphere when English fans come over here to play."
"Why not create that atmosphere more often?"
As we talk, news of Connacht's 19-10 win over Zebre comes in.
The Irish side lost 65 per cent of games in last season's Pro12 League, while the Italians were formed in the summer.
Yet, despite those facts, both clubs gained automatic entry to a competition that is supposed to showcase the best of the best in the continent. It doesn't quite add up... does it?
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