Toulouse and Antoine Dupont produced a box-office performance as they blitzed Investec Champions Cup opponents Exeter 64-21 at Sandy Park. The record six-time tournament winners were in irresistible form, collecting five first-half tries from Dupont, Julien Marchand, Matthis Lebel, Thibaud Flament and Pierre-Louis Barassi to leave Exeter reeling.
It was the Chiefs’ ninth successive defeat in major competitions this season, and they simply had no answer to Toulouse’s pace, power and relentless support play.
Lebel and Barassi completed doubles early in the second period before Theo Ntamack, Blair Kinghorn and Paul Graou scored as Toulouse took their try tally to 10. Full-back Thomas Ramos kicked seven conversions, while wing Tommy Wyatt scored two tries for Exeter and Josh Hodge also crossed, all converted by Henry Slade.
Exeter have yet to register a Champions Cup point ahead of January encounters against Bordeaux-Begles and Ulster, while Toulouse inflicted a first half-century at home on Chiefs in the competition’s history, underpinning another sobering occasion for Rob Baxter’s team.
It took Toulouse just nine minutes to stamp their class on proceedings as a crisp 40-metre move ended with Dupont sprinting clear for an opening try that Ramos converted.
Exeter had started brightly, but they will have been alarmed by the ease with which Toulouse cut them open.
And the visitors doubled their lead eight minutes later, this time opting for a route-one approach from a short-range lineout, with Marchand touching down and Ramos adding the extras.
The Chiefs already had a mountain to climb, but just when it looked as though they might establish a territorial presence Toulouse struck again. Exeter were on the attack inside Toulouse’s half, yet possession was spilled and Barassi made a stunning break, finding Lebel on his inside and he shredded Chiefs’ defence for another try that Ramos converted.
The home side were in danger of being obliterated by half time, but they responded right on cue when wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso made headway, found scrum-half Stu Townsend in support and his pass sent Wyatt away to score. Slade’s conversion cut the gap to 14 points, yet any hint of a recovery lasted just three minutes courtesy of Dupont, whose speed and awareness created a simple try for Flament.
Ramos’ conversion made it 28-7 and Toulouse had a bonus point in the bag four minutes before half time as some of their rugby bordered on exhibition material. There was still time for another score, though, and this time it was Barassi who was the beneficiary of strong approach work after Townsend was shown the yellow card for a technical offence. Ramos’ conversion made it 35-7 at the break.
Toulouse were off and running again just three minutes into the second period, with Lebel touching down for a second time after more slick handling and it had become a painful damage-limitation exercise for Exeter.
Wyatt then sprinted in from halfway for the hosts’ try – again converted by Slade – and there was a first appearance of the season for Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins following summer shoulder surgery as he featured off the bench.
Toulouse were able to just flick a switch in attack, and Barassi’s second try made it 45-14 midway through the third quarter before Hodge’s opportunism gave him a breakaway score.
Normal business was quickly resumed, with Theo Ntamack adding try number eight before Dupont went off to a rousing reception from the Sandy Park faithful and Kinghorn and Graou ended Exeter’s agony.
On Saturday Northampton overcame the loss of injured captain George Furbank to post a statement 30-21 win against the Bulls in Pretoria.
England international full-back Furbank went off 10 minutes before half time after suffering an issue with his right arm following a tackle by Bulls skipper Elrigh Louw.
The Gallagher Premiership champions dug deep, though, at Loftus Versfeld, with Furbank’s replacement George Hendy and number eight Juarno Augustus scoring first-half tries en route to a bonus-point triumph.
Leicester coasted to a 56-17 victory against South African visitors the Sharks in Pool One at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. Sharks were without a number of World Cup-winning Springboks, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi, and Leicester tore them apart.
Hooker Julian Montoya scored two early tries before wing Ollie Hassell-Collins and centre Solomone Kata crossed, with Tigers collecting a bonus-point after just 35 minutes.
Twice Champions Cup winners La Rochelle inflicted a second successive defeat on Bristol with a 35-7 win at Stade Marcel-Deflandre. The highlight was a stunning first-half finish by former England wing Jack Nowell for La Rochelle’s opening try, and they went on to collect a bonus point.
Sunday’s results: Stade Francais 17 Saracens 28; Benetton 22 Bath 21; Toulon 30 Glasgow Warriors 29; Exeter 21 Toulouse 64
Saturday’s results: Bulls 21 Northampton 30; Ulster 19 Bordeaux 40; Leicester 56 Sharks 17; Leinster 15 Clermont Auverge 7; Harlequins 53 Stormers 16; La Rochelle 35 Bristol 7
