A network of English spies and the red-hot French sunshine could be the formula for Toulouse to make Powergen Challenge Cup history.
Coach Justin Morgan has been tapping into the old boys' network to get the lowdown on his side's quarter-final opponents Widnes.
And that inside knowledge, together with predicted searing temperatures in the south of France, could result in Toulouse becoming the first ever French club to reach the semi-finals.
Morgan played under new St Helens boss Daniel Anderson at both Parramatta and New Zealand Warriors.
He also played with London prop Mark Tookey at the same two clubs.
"I spoke with Daniel on Monday about Widnes," he said. "He basically reinforced some of the ideas that I'd developed having watched Widnes on video.
"Mark played against Widnes very recently as well, so he has been giving me some of his thoughts too.
"I'm trying to use as many sources as possible to get the background on Widnes."
Aussie Morgan, who has been with Toulouse for the last three years, has steered the side into the French Elite league play-offs.
They need just one win from their next three play-off group games to reach the semi-finals.
But domestic issues will be put on hold for the next few days so they can focus on the Widnes game.
And they have been putting in special training sessions for the occasion.
"We're only a semi-pro team but we've arranged some training sessions for during the day to acclimatise to the heat we're getting here at the moment," said Morgan.
"We played a game the other night and it was 32 degrees, but during the day it was 38 degrees, which is when we'll be playing Widnes.
"We've had a lot of hot days in the last month and we've done a lot of physical work, so that should help.
"We're not just looking for a credible performance in this match, we want to win it. In cup ties, fairytales do happen."
MMIX
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We're not just looking for a credible performance in this match, we want to win it