The Scottish side were good value for a 27-16 success as they avenged their defeat at the Stade Aime Giral in October thanks to tries from Tom Brown, Cornell Du Preez and Dougie Fife and a fine kicking display from captain Greig Laidlaw.

They missed out on a bonus point and saw their Heineken Cup hopes ended courtesy of Munster’s win at Gloucester but they could still challenge for an Amlin Challenge Cup spot if they can triumph at Thomond Park next week.

Edinburgh struck first with a typically-well taken penalty from Scotland scrum-half Laidlaw after 11 minutes and they were celebrating further success when the game hit the quarter-of-an-hour mark as Brown raced away for the opening try.

Jack Cuthbert’s strong surge following a sharp scissors move put Edinburgh on the front foot and Brown created something out of nothing when he picked up a loose ball at a midfield ruck and sprinted home from 40 metres.

Laidlaw’s typically assured conversion made it 10-0 but Perpignan hit back with a brace of penalties from Wales back James Hook after 19 and 32 minutes.

Edinburgh had the final say of the half, though, as a second Laidlaw three pointer two minutes before the break handed them a 13-6 half-time lead.

Hook reduced the gap to four points yet again shortly after the restart as he ignored the difficult conditions under foot to land a long-range penalty but Edinburgh pulled away from there on in.

Indiscipline cost Perpignan dear moments later as skipper Guilhem Guirado saw yellow for coming in at the side of a driving maul and Edinburgh made him pay in the best possible fashion.

Du Preez barged over wide on the left, with Brown ready and waiting to dot down if the South African blindside had decided not to back his own strength after quick hands saw the ball moved from one side of the pitch to the other.

Laidlaw’s touchline conversion stretched the advantage to 11 points at 20-9 just seven minutes in and the lead was out to 18 when Fife scored a third try after 56 minutes. Fife had the simple task of picking up half a metre from the tryline after new arrival Carl Bezuidenhout’s clever grubber kick was misjudged by Perpignan wing Wandile Mjekevu.

Again, Laidlaw hit the target from out wide to leave Perpignan with a mountain to climb as Edinburgh chased maximum points. But the bonus never came despite the fact that they had more than 20 minutes to find a way through for a fourth score.

Instead it was Perpignan who had the last word courtesy of a try from replacement hooker Maxime Delonca with six minutes left, with Hook’s touchline extras ensuring a more respectable scoreline for the Catalans.