Paris (AFP) - Montpellier will be kicking themselves despite beating Harlequins 40-26 in their Champions Cup last 16 first leg clash on Sunday as they at one point led 34-0.

In the last game of weekend’s round of matches, Leicester finished with 14 men in Clermont, but still scored five tries and won 29-10. It was the sixth of the weekend’s eight matches won by the away team.

In Montpellier, the French league leaders dominated the English champions for the first 45 minutes with ex-Saracens prop Timi Lamositele and backrow forward Zach Mercer among the try-scorers.

Driven on by England fly-half Marcus Smith, Quins responded with four tries in the final half hour.

Back row forward George Hammond touched down a Smith kick, before South African Andre Esterhuizen, and his English centre partner Joe Marchant touched down.

Full-back Louis Lynagh – son of former Wallaby legend Michael – rounded off the try spree running 80 metres with an interception two minutes from time.

“It wasn’t perfect, but winning with forty points against the English champion is good,” said Mercer who scored twice. “But for next week, it’s 0-0.”

Philippe Saint-Andre’s side hold a 14-point lead as they go in search of only a second last-eight appearance and a quarter-final against either last season’s finalists La Rochelle or Bordeaux-Begles.

“I see the glass as half full,” said Saint Andre.

“We played fifty minutes almost perfectly. We are at the halfway point of this confrontation. We’re going to recover. We’re going to prepare well.”

But Harlequins, given their habit of comebacks, can dream of winning a knockout encounter for the first time in this competition.

“I’m trying to be optimistic, but we are only half-way and there is absolutely a belief that we can pull a rabbit out of the hat next week,” said Quins coach Tabai Matson.

In Clermont, Leicester, the English league leaders, fell behind to a 12th minute try by winger Cheikh Tiberghien but then dominated the team lying eight in the Top 14.

Prop Ellis Genge and hooker Julien Montoya drew Leicester level at 10-10 with unconverted tries before halftime.

Scrum half Jack Van Poorvliet and wing Hosea Saumakli crossed early in the second half with George Ford converting both.

Centre Guy Porter was red carded after an hour following an accidental off the ball collision that left Montpellier’s Fritz Lee bleeding.

But winger Harry Potter still added a fifth try for the visitors.

- ‘Too easy’ -

“It was too easy for them,” said home fly-half Camille Lopez. “They were efficient and we were not.”

On Saturday, La Rochelle’s conquerors in last season’s final Toulouse slipped to defeat at home to Ulster.

Robert Baloucoune bagged a hat-trick of tries to help Ulster notch up a memorable 26-20 victory.

The Ireland winger shone not only in attack but also as part of a strong defensive showing against a star-studded Toulouse side boasting 10 of France’s Grand Slam-winning squad.

However, the hosts played with 14 men for 70 minutes of an entertaining match after a red card for Argentina winger Juan Cruz Mallia.

La Rochelle look set for the last eight after sauntering to a 31-13 victory over Bordeaux-Begles.

Elsewhere, Gael Fickou scored the only try as Racing 92 beat city rivals Stade Francais 22-9, a feat mirrored by Fiji’s Semi Radradra in Bristol’s 10-9 victory over fellow English Premiership club Sale.

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg was a try scorer as Exeter racked up the sole home win in Saturday’s action with a hard-fought 13-8 triumph over Munster.

Four-time champions Leinster had kicked off the action on Friday with a 26-21 win over fellow Irish province Connacht.