Munster kept up the pressure on Pool 5 rivals Wasps and Clermont with a 22-13 win over Llanelli Scarlets in the European Cup on Sunday.
In Pool 6, three-time European champions Toulouse beat Leicester 22-11 to cement their place as group leaders on 14 points and their charge for a quarter-final spot.
Leicester remain second on nine points, one ahead of Leinster, who were outmuscled 29-10 by Edinburgh on Saturday.
Toulouse coach Guy Noves refused to speculate on his team's likely progression into the last eight, drawn from the six pool winners and two best second-placed teams.
"We can be proud of our performance even if we're still very far from qualification," he said. "Tonight, we're not eliminated but neither are we qualified."
"We adapted our strategy from last week," Noves said, adding that he had just learnt that Leicester had allegedly filmed Toulouse's last closed-doors training session.
"I don't find that kind of behavior very nice. We're very happy to have beaten them," he said.
Munster's win saw the Irish province move top of their group on 14 points, with defending champions Wasps one point off in second after their thrilling 25-24 win over Clermont on Saturday.
The French club have 10 points while the Scarlets remain winless from their four matches.
Munster, however, still have to play Clermont away before hosting Wasps in their final group game.
Munster were made to work hard to see the Scarlets off at Thomond Park.
The Irishmen scored two tries through Jerry Flannery and Brian Carney with captain Ronan O'Gara booting four penalties.
Stephen Jones scored all of Llanelli's points, including a first-half try, but the Welsh team never recovered from a 14-7 half-time deficit.
In a fog-bound Toulouse, the home side scored tries through Clement Poitrenaud and Vincent Clerc, with scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde marshalling his troops magnificently as well as kicking two penalties and a drop-goal, along with Valentin Courrent.
Leicester responded with a try from winger Tom Varndell and two Andy Goode penalties, but could not find a way through the tough Toulouse defense superbly led by No 8 Shaun Sowerby and flanker Yannick Nyanga.
Poitrenaud made amends for his handling mistake that handed Leicester their first try in last weekend's 14-9 win by finishing off an early Toulouse move just after Varndell had crossed for his try.
As Elissalde and Goode exchanged kicks, Clerc effectively sealed the day with a fantastically taken try, stepping off his wing and staying on his feet as he bounced off Martin Corry, Geordan Murphy and Seru Rabeni to cross the line.
In the day's third match, Bristol remained on course to challenge for a quarter-final spot after scoring three second-half tries on the way to a 20-7 win over English rivals Harlequins.
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