Perpignan, the 2003 finalists, foiled Edinburgh's attempt to achieve their first Heineken Cup win on French soil with a comfortable 23-0 victory in their Pool Five game last night.
Edinburgh trailed by three points at the break but a try from the Australian stand-off Manny Edmonds, a penalty try and 13 points from the boot of the Argentinian Diego Giannantonio ended the Scots challenge.
In Belfast Ulster beat Cardiff 21-16 in Pool Six and kept their home record intact - they have not lost a European game at Ravenhill for three years. David Humphreys scored all their 21 points with five penalties and two drop- goals.
Saracens will launch their European Challenge Cup campaign in Bayonne today without the services of Thomas Castaignède. He faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering medial knee ligament damage during last weekend's drawn Zurich Premiership game against Newcastle. Castaignède's place at full-back will be taken by Robbie Kydd.
"Of the players who have been registered for this tournament, only 24 are fit," said Saracens' head coach Rod Kafer.
Sale start their campaign in the European Challenge Cup tomorrow, tackling the Italian minnows Catania. The trip to Sicily should pose few problems ahead of next week's return leg in Stockport.
The England prop Trevor Woodman returns for Sale after recovering from injury and the rugby director Philippe Saint-André hands first-team debuts to the centre Ben Foden and back-row forward John Carter.
London Irish switch Mike Catt from centre to fly-half for today's first-round game against Auch in France, with Barry Everitt and Mark Mapletoft on the bench.
England's Iain Balshaw makes his first start for Leeds at Grenoble today.