The England fly-half's 70th-minute drop goal looked to have won the match for Toulon but Stade's Noel Oelschig slotted over a drop goal attempt himself three minutes from time to clinch his side a 22-22 draw.

Wilkinson put in a mixed display overall - his personal haul comprised four penalties, a conversion and a drop goal but he made a number of handling errors in the second half.

Three more England internationals - Tom Palmer, Tom May and James Haskell - also played tonight. Flanker Haskell picked up a needless first-half yellow card but redeemed himself with a strong display after the break.

Wilkinson, who trained with England this week, was given an early opportunity to open the scoring and he did not let his new employers down, slotting a 35-yard penalty from the diagonal straight between the posts.

Stade fought back to take a 10-3 lead through number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon's try and a conversion and penalty from Oelschig, but Wilkinson was leading bravely from the front.

The 30-year-old - who was just wide with a seventh-minute drop-goal attempt - was off target with a penalty he earned himself after being dumped into the ground by Stade winger Djibril Camara.

But he converted Thomas Sourice's try in the 20th minute and then booted over an injury-time penalty for 13-10 after Haskell had cynically played the ball on the ground at a ruck. The former Wasps star was sin-binned as a result.

Wilkinson continued to be ruthless with his trusty left boot as he kicked two more penalties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to put Toulon 19-13 up.

After Oelschig reduced the deficit to 19-16, 2003 World Cup winner Wilkinson was wide with a tough penalty attempt from the right touchline but his long-range, left-footed drop goal with 10 minutes left put Toulon 22-19 up and in sight of an opening win.

But Oelschig took his tally for the night to 17 points with a 77th-minute shot to deny the hosts.