Jonny Wilkinson tonight went as close as possible to reclaiming his position as England's No1 fly half, at least for the opening autumn international against Australia in three weeks.
In front of England's attack and defence coaches, Brian Smith and Mike Ford, the former Newcastle No10 steered Toulon to a three tries to two win over the Premiership leaders to remain unbeaten in European competition.
After a difficult opening 20 minutes, Wilkinson was the architect behind two first half tries scored by the Fijian centre Gabiriele Lovobalavu and collected a personal tally of 16 points. However, England will be more comforted by the accuracy of his tactical kicking as well as some handy defence when Saracens poured on the pressure in the second half.
Wikus van Heerden was driven over for Saracens and Richard Haughton ran in a 60-metre interception try, but by then Toulon's other Newcastle exile, Tom May, had made best use of an outrageous forward pass – not the first gift from the referee John Lacey on the night – to extend the half-time lead to a cushion comfortable enough to see Toulon home.
Almost from the moment Wilkinson arrived on the Côte d'Azur in the summer he has been telling anyone who will listen how much the move from Newcastle has improved his life and his overall game. The people of Toulon then returned that admiration as his kicking helped ease their team up to a giddy second place in the Top 14.
Now with Toulon back in seventh place and Wilkinson having missed a vital last-minute kick in his most recent game, this was the chance to show what he could do against at least one England team mate and a team unbeaten in the Premiership.
As for Steve Borthwick this was the first game back after the stamp by Olivier Azam which damaged the England captain's eye so badly that it earned the Gloucester prop a 12-week ban, but Smith and Ford were also keeping tabs on May, an England starter against Argentina in the summer, and probably the promising Saracens inside centre Bradley Barritt as well.
If a man of 30 with nearly 70 caps and two World Cups behind him can look nervous that was how Wilkinson started, putting his first punt directly into touch and throwing a couple of over-ambitious passes, the first of which came close to being intercepted before it bounced into no-man's land.
Derick Hougaard, who does the kicking for Saracens, also showed how the game has moved on, going just wide with a penalty two metres into his own half and wide on the left before Lacey spotted Wilkinson hanging on in the tackle and, having found his range, the Springbok converted comfortably from a similar distance.
However, minutes later Wilkinson was on the scoreboard, kicking an inch-perfect penalty from about 30 metres and that seemed to stem the jitters. The next penalty zeroed down the touchline, Toulon won their own throw and their other veteran half back, 32-year-old Pierre Mignoni, did enough to win the penalty that Wilkinson used to push Toulon into the lead after 20 minutes.
By half-time the lead was nine point and Wilkinson was beginning to boss the game. First he prompted the move which saw Lovobalavu juggle the final pass but still make the line and then he put in an up-and-under which the Toulon full-back, Luke Rooney, got to first. Joe van Niekerk moved the ball wide and Lovobalavu was in space again to pop the ball down in the corner.
Wilkinson missed the conversion and a later attempted drop goal but still got a decent cheer, although a couple of Hougaard penalties trimmed the lead.
Toulon Rooney, Lamont, Lovobalavu, May (Fauque, 75), Loamanu, Wilkinson, Mignoni (Henjak, 66), Emmanuelli, Fitzgerald (Djoudi, 57), Lea'aetoa (Ryan, 69), Lozada (Senekal, 66), Chesney, Van Niekerk, Fernández Lobbe, Auelua (Missoup, 57).
Tries Lovobalavu 2, May. Cons Wilkinson 2. Pens Wilkinson 4.
Saracens Horak (Goode, 48), Haughton, Penney, Barritt (Jackson, 73), Wyles, Hougaard, Marshall, Agüero (Ongaro, 50), Reynecke (Gill, 50), Skuse (Nieto, 50), Borthwick, Ryder, Van Heerden, Saull (Joubert, 29), Owen.
Tries Van Heerden, Haughton. Cons Hougaard, Haughton.
Pens Hougaard 3.
Referee John Lacey (Ireland) Attendance
