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England rookie stars as Sale beat Toulon to reach last 16 of Investec Champions Cup
By PA
England wing Tom Roebuck scored twice as Sale thumped French side Toulon 33-7 to qualify for the last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup in style.
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In their final pool game, Alex Sanderson’s men needed a bonus-point win to reach the knock-out stages following their 40-0 hammering against Stormers in South Africa eight days earlier.
This dominant performance, which saw Sale score through Roebuck’s brace, Ben Curry, Bevan Rodd and Tom O’Flaherty, ensured Sale must now travel to defending champions Toulouse in the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.
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Seven Sale players have been named in England’s Six Nations squad and all of them – Roebuck, George Ford, Rodd, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Tom Curry and Ben Curry – started against Toulon.
Encouragingly for Red Rose boss Steve Borthwick with the Six Nations on the horizon, all Sale’s England stars impressed with Roebuck touching down in both halves.
The Gallagher Premiership outfit started strongly against their French visitors, tearing into tackles and producing some huge hits as they went in search of the bonus-point victory they craved.
Toulon included Welsh fly-half Dan Biggar, Scotland scrum-half Ben White and flanker Lewis Ludlam, who has earned 25 England caps, in their starting line-up.
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Sale’s desperation was clear from the outset as they forced Toulon back inside their own half as they went in search of the game’s opening try.
Roebuck was a pivotal figure during a first half which saw Sale dominate possession, but struggle to penetrate.
However, the opening try finally came on the stroke of half-time when England scrum-half Raffi Quirke produced a delightful behind-the-back flicked pass to find Roebuck.
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The wing still had plenty to do, but he showed impressive strength to outmuscle the Toulon defence and cross the line for a try which Ford converted.
After the break, Sale moved through the gears as captain Ben Curry scored their second try in the 50th minute when Robert Du Preez’s superb pass sent the flanker racing clear.
Ford again converted and their third score arrived on the hour when the outstanding Rodd powered over from close range after good work from Cowan-Dickie.
Ford’s conversion made it 21-0 and the crucial bonus-point try arrived three minutes later when speedy wing O’Flaherty broke clear from inside his own half before racing down the left flank to score.
Ford could not convert from out wide and Toulon hit back soon after when flanker Jules Coulon went over from close range and Paolo Garbisi converted.
But Roebuck showed his strength and pace to score his second and Sale’s fifth four minutes from time, with Du Preez converting before being sin binned for an infringement late on.
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