Toulouse 45-19 Sale: Antoine Dupont give French followers one thing to cheer about

On Sunday night time, grown males lay crying within the streets of Toulouse. 

After inventive Antoine strutted his stuff, King Kylian couldn’t fairly do the enterprise. To be within the French rugby hotbed on Sunday was to witness a day of contrasting feelings. 

First, France scrum-half Antoine Dupont guided Toulouse to a complete European success. The 15-a-side fare was an entrée earlier than the plat principal of the soccer World Cup closing. 

Toulouse shocked Sale Sharks with a complete 45-19 win in France on Sunday

Sadly for the locals watching on bars inside pubs and within the streets, Kylian Mbappé and France couldn’t get the higher of Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Qatar.

 Flares lit up the sky above Place du Capitole as Mbappé’s gorgeous hat-trick despatched the sport to penalties. Then got here the tears as France stuttered with their spot kicks.

No less than Dupont had delivered earlier within the day. He often does. The bars at Stade Ernest-Wallon had been nonetheless packed lengthy after the rugby had completed with the soccer on the massive screens. 

Scrum-half Antoine Dupont was among the many stars as he bagged two tries for the hosts

The day ended disappointingly for the hosts, nevertheless it started with a demolition of the English. Sale had been all the time going to be in for a stiff problem and so it proved. They had been handed three yellow playing cards by Italian referee Andrea Piardi, whose whistle dominated the sport. 

Sale’s poor self-discipline price them, however even when they’d been squeaky clear they’d have struggled to cope with Toulouse’s wizardry. The French facet had been chic and scored seven tries, three of which had been simply very good though they did lose Thomas Ramos to a pink card for a late, reckless headbutt.

‘It’s by no means good getting crushed,’ mentioned Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson. ‘We let Toulouse free and they’re in all probability one of the best workforce on this planet in open play. We gave them an excessive amount of of that.

‘I believed the referee did very nicely. You may’t win video games conceding 45 factors and having three yellow playing cards.’ 

Sale had been made to pay for his or her poor self-discipline as they picked up three yellow playing cards

Sale did open the scoring as England prop Bevan Rodd produced a Messi-style dribble. However Thibaud Flament and Cyril Baille powered over and France scrum-half Dupont grabbed his first. Dupont completed off an impressive attacking transfer involving Pita Ahki, Dimitri Delibes and Lucas Tauzin. 

Sale’s first sin binning was Akker van der Merwe for upending Ramos, however the hooker then returned to attain after Rob du Preez’s good kick to the touch. Toulouse solely led 19-12 on the break regardless of Sale having simply 38 per cent possession and conceding seven penalties and three free-kicks. The hosts grabbed their bonus-point by way of a penalty attempt when the sport resumed.

Sale Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson praised his facet’s ‘resilience’ within the loss

Byron McGuigan was sin binned for taking out Ramos as he tried to attain. It did seem like Ramos had knocked on. 

With the sport received, Toulouse’s supporters warmed up for the soccer with a rendition of La Marseillaise. Little did they know on the time that the rugby could be pretty much as good because it acquired. 

Dupont made it a brace, racing on to a kick after an excellent Matthis Lebel break. Tauzin made it six after some basketball-style Toulouse dealing with and Romain Ntamack accomplished the rout. 

There was nonetheless time for 2 extra yellow playing cards. Sale wing Tom O’Flaherty went for a deliberate knock on and residential prop Charlie Faumuina was penalised for not rolling away. 

In a loopy finale, Lebel seemed like he’d grabbed one other scintillating attempt however Piardi and his officers introduced play all the way in which again and punished Ramos’ second of insanity. He was proven pink and Jonny Hill grabbed a Sale comfort. 

Sanderson added: ‘We confirmed resilience to maintain preventing and I believed the final play epitomised that. We have to have a look at our accuracy and self-discipline. We expect we’re higher than that rating.’