Toulouse too strong as underpowered Sharks falter in Champions Cup opener

French giants Toulouse had too much firepower for a relatively inexperienced Sharks side, winning their first-round Investec Champions Cup clash at Stade Ernest-Wallon 56-19 on Sunday, but the visitors never wilted in the face of the onslaught.

The six-time champions, loaded with international stars, scored eight tries and coped comfortably with the late withdrawal of French international flyhalf Romain Ntamak against a Sharks side led by No 8 Nick Hatton but missing several of their Springbok big guns.

The Durban side showed a willingness to run the ball early on, but a cross-kick in the third minute led to the opening score for Ange Capuozzo, which flyhalf Thomas Ramos converted. The Sharks responded well to the early setback, building multiple phases, with lock JJ Scheepers particularly strong in the carry.

A great kick chase by winger Yaw Penxe earned them a penalty, but Toulouse stole the ball off the resultant lineout. The home side were a constant menace on attack, especially down the wide channels, and began to dominate the breakdown while exploiting spaces behind the Sharks’ rush defence.

The Sharks’ pack also had no answer to a line-out maul in the 14th minute, with Julien Marchand barging over for the converted try. Marchand scored again from close quarters after a charge-down led to a scrum near their try line (21-0) with more than 20 minutes played.

The bonus point was secured in the 24th minute when Kalvin Gourgues cantered over the whitewash after Toulouse capitalised on the Sharks’ inability to exit their 22 cleanly.

Skipper Hatton gave the visiting side something to smile about when he brushed Capuozzo aside to score in the 26th minute after a great break off the line-out by scrumhalf Ross Braude.

Flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse failed to land the conversion. The respite was brief, however, with the French Top 14 leaders demonstrating their class both in ball-handling and kicking, pinning the visitors back.

The mounting error count, particularly slipped tackles, made the Sharks’ task harder, with 10 minutes left in the first half that must have felt like 10 hours. They managed to reach the safety of the dressing room without conceding further points, thanks to a strong defensive effort and increasing stability in the scrum, but still trailed 28-5 at the break.

It could have been much worse had the home team been more clinical with their surplus of possession and territorial dominance.

The second half became a damage-limitation exercise for John Plumtree’s side in his final match in charge, but they began to claw their way back after the opening minutes. A powerful Sharks scrum close to the Toulouse try line led to a sniping run and try by livewire Braude. Hendrikse converted (28-12) and was increasingly influential in driving his team forward with the boot as the game opened up.

Errors close to the try line, however, denied them the points their dominance deserved.

Capuozzo scored his second try in the 63rd minute, with a lineout maul a couple of minutes later leading to another try by Mathis Castro-Ferreira (42-12). Italian international Capuozzo completed his hat-trick with a brilliant chase of his own grubber down the left.

To their credit, the Sharks continued to pursue a four-try bonus point, with PK Sobahle among the standout replacements through strong running. A great offload by replacement flyhalf Jean Smith and supporting play led to a fantastic try for Le Roux Malan, but Teddy Thomas had the final say for Toulouse, who won 56-19.

Scores

Sharks (5) 19

Tries: Hatton, Braude, Malan; Conversions: Hendrikse, Smith

Toulouse (28) 56

Tries: Capuozzo (3), Marchand (2), Gourgues, Castro-Ferreira; Conversions: Ramos (8)