Heineken Champions Cup: Toulouse 45-19 Sale Sharks - Two-try Antoine Dupont stars in convincing win

Antoine Dupont scored two tries before being substituted with Toulouse 38-12 ahead and 20 minutes left

Toulouse hammered Sale Sharks to claim a bonus-point win in the Heineken Champions Cup at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

The French Top 14 leaders ran in six tries, including two from scrum-half Antoine Dupont and a penalty try.

Thibaud Flament, Cyril Baille, Lucas Tauzin and Romain Ntamack crossed for Toulouse, who had Thomas Ramos sent off for a headbutt late on.

Bevan Rodd, Akker van der Merwe and Jonny Hill scored Sale's three tries.

Sharks, who had claimed a 39-0 win over Ulster in their first match in the competition, were ahead early thanks to great skill from Rodd, with the England international prop hacking on before falling on the ball over the line.

But the hosts hit back quickly with three tries before 20 minutes had passed.

Lock Flament sliced through the Sale defence to go under the posts, prop Baille then bundled his way over for a score upheld after a TMO review and Dupont had his first after a superb move where the ball travelled through several pairs of Toulouse hands.

Sale improved in the latter part of the first half, including a spell where they denied Toulouse any points, despite having van der Merwe sin-binned.

After his return, the South African hooker barged over from a line-out for Sale's second try.

Toulouse stretched ahead just after half-time when a penalty try was awarded when Sale's Byron McGuigan caught Ramos around the head and neck just as the French full-back was attempting to touch down a kick and chase over the line.

Dupont's pace saw him outrun Sale's Rob du Preez to reach a kick ahead for his second try soon after, while Tauzin scored in the corner after another slick move by the hosts.

Ntamack then stepped through four tackles for another converted try before a chaotic finale that included a red card for Ramos.

McGuigan was convinced he had scored just before the end but, after the ball came loose in the act of touching down, Toulouse raced downfield to score through Matthis Lebel.

Replays, though, showed Ramos had headbutted McGuigan in the aftermath of the disputed Sale try and was dismissed. The visitors still had time to notch a third try through lock Hill.

Toulouse have two wins out of two in Pool B, and visit Sale for the return tie on 14 January.

Line-ups

Toulouse: Ramos, Tauzin, Delibes, Ahki, Lebel, Ntamack, Dupont, Baille, Marchand, Aldegheri, R Arnold, Meafou, Flament, Willis, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Faumuina, Brennan, Youyoutte, Tolofua, Guitoune, Page-Relo.

Sale: McGuigan, O'Flaherty, S James, S Hill, Reed, R Du Preez, Warr, Rodd, van der Merwe, Schonert, Wiese, J Hill, du Preez, T Curry, D Du Preez.

Replacements: Ashman, McIntyre, Jones, Ross, B Curry, Simpson, Curtis, Mills.

Referee: Andrea Piardi

• Subscribe to the Rugby Union Weekly podcast

• Add rugby union alerts to your BBC Sport app