Cooper the toast of Toulon in smashing win
Cooper flourished behind a dominant pack, Fijian wing Josua Tuisova scoring a second-half hat-trick as the home side ran in eight tries to one for a well-deserved bonus point.
"You can see with Quade that after just two training sessions, he's very much at ease!" Toulon centre Maxime Mermoz said.
"He attacks a lot and doesn't hesitate to force the pass."
Cooper was little used by the Wallabies in the World Cup, but showed few signs of ring rustiness in his first run-out for the three-time European champions.
His fallibility and genius were both on show in the first-half, a no-look grubber setting up the second of Lachie Turner's tries but a forced one-handed sling pass leading to Montpellier's intercept try through Julien Malzieu.
Toulon might have been missing the likes of Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Ma'a Nonu, Leigh Halfpenny, Duane Vermeulen, Paul O'Connell, Frederic Michalak and James O'Connor, but they could still afford to field a star-studded team packed with experienced internationals.
Bernard Laporte named nine foreigners in his starting Toulon line-up, Montpellier coach Jake White plumping for a staggering 11.
There were a further eight foreigners on both benches in a sharp realisation of the globalisation of the Top 14, where clubs are funded by multi-millionaire owners. In this case it involves Mourad Boudjellal, who has bankrolled the star-studded Toulon team through the millions made from his comic book empire, and Mohed Altrad, who made his millions in scaffolding and cement after a tough early life that saw him start out as a bedouin in the Syrian desert.
In an ironic twist, even the referee was a foreigner: Argentinian Juan Silvestre officiated the game in English.
Toulon scrumhalf Jonathan Pelissie sent a penalty effort wide early on in a cagey start by both sides.
Montpellier's loosehead prop Johannes Roux paid the price for three collapsed scrums in the opening 10 minutes, Silvestre brandishing the yellow card.
Delon Armitage, with a clear two-on-one, failed to pass to his brother Steffon with the line beckoning, Montpellier's Australian captain Ben Mowen also shown yellow for a ruck infringement in the build-up.
Toulon finally broke the deadlock after 21 minutes when American lock Manu Samoa split the cover to sprint in from 30 metres for a try.
With Montpellier's defence in disarray, Toulon skipper Juan Smith managed a great inside pass to Turner for a second home try at a sun-kissed Stade Felix-Mayol. Turner crossed for his second just two minutes later, Cooper producing a beautiful, no-look grubber for the wing to touch down over the line.
Ben Lucas finally got Montpellier on the board with a 36th-minute penalty before Cooper handed the visitors a lifeline back into the game. A forced pass was intercepted by ex-Clermont wing Malzieu, who outran Turner over 70 metres, Lucas going wide with the conversion.
Toulon nailed an attacking bonus point when Fijian wing Tuisova scored the first of three quick-fire tries, played in after Cooper held up his pass from close range.
Tuisova scored his second after Malzieu was sucked off his line from a five-metre scrum, allowing the Fijian a free run-in and Anthony Floch's misspass was picked off by Tuisova, who sprinted in for his hat-trick in the 62nd minute.
Ubiquitous No.8 Steffon Armitage was at the back of a driving maul to dot down for Toulon's seventh try, before France scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde rubbed salt in Montpellier's wounds, cutting back in for a fine try after being played in by Georgian giant Mamuka Gorgodze and Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe following a turnover, converted by former All Black Tom Taylor.
In Toulouse, France No.8 Louis Picamoles was at his bulldozing best as the four-time European champions scored five tries before the break to beat Grenoble 52-12.
Gael Fickou opened the scoring against a stretched defence as he cut inside and went under the posts.
Picamoles then set up Sebastien Bezy for his first of two tries after picking up from the back of a scrum and putting his half-back in down the blindside.
Former England international Toby Flood, who also knocked over five conversions, was next to benefit from more destructive running by Picamoles.
Christopher Tolofua picked up from the back of a ruck and set up Bezy for his second before Piccamoles went alone and drove over with three defenders hanging onto him.
Laurent Bouchet stoped the rot as he barrelled over just before half-time to leave Grenoble trailing 31-5 at the break.
Flood teed up Fickou for his second before Picamoles was given an early night just seven minutes into the second period, much to the relief of Grenoble's battered pack.
Fickou got his hat-trick with a long-range counter after Grenoble turned over cheap ball in the Toulouse half.
Gilles Bosch glided in under the posts for Grenoble's second try but on the final buzzer, Fijian wing Timoci Matanavou collected Maxime Medard's chip to the corner to snare the eighth score.
Top 14 results:
Toulon 52 Montpellier 8
La Rochelle 38 Oyonnax 3
Pau 33 Agen 31
Brive 16 Bordeaux-Begles 3
Toulouse 52 Grenoble 12
Agence France-Presse
