Tolosa 38-15 Sales Sales: After Parachute Drama, it hosts the defense of the Champions Cup Cup title

The sales sharks produced a lively exhibition, but they did not have a famous European victory while the Toulouse reigning champions won a tie for the last 16 of Investec Champions Cup which was delayed in bizarre circumstances.

The game started almost 40 minutes late as one of the three paratroopers, in charge of pre-match entertainment and delivering the game ball, was blocked on the roof of the De Tolosa stadium.

When the game in the end began after being safely saved by the local firefighters, Toulouse did not show any sign of mental tiredness while Jack Willis concentrated closely for the opening attempt.

The hosts collected 33 attempts in the swimming pool phase and their vocal domestic support may have expected another procession in pursuing a seventh extensive record title, but the sharks reacted almost immediately through Luke James.

It was a sign of Mancunian confidence, which was more intensified by a penalty of George Ford before Jonny Hill’s Tespese arm had put on the ground a second attempt to deliver visitors an advantage of 15-7.

Thomas Ramos reduced the deficit from the tee before the sale was short of millimeters of a third attempt while Tom Roebuck was judged in contact before immersing himself.

Tolosa’s inevitable recovery came after the interval, however, while Francois Cros recorded their second attempt from a driving maul before Ramos added the conversion to block them two points in front.

The sale fought to carve out the opportunities that were able to create in the first half, but remained due to a surprising distance up to a quality moment from Romain Ntamack, which shot a delicate 50:22 football.

The captain of the home Julien Marchand lengthened his hand on the ground after another dominant rolling maul and the game seemed to slip away from the side of the premiership.

The goal of Joel Merkler was marked, with Ange Capuozzo judged for being the wrong side of the touch line.

However, the Italian flyer Capuozzo made a fine with an extraordinary solo finish, showing a skilled leg of legs and a speed of blisters to score under the posts.

He proved to be the final act of the wing while he was taken away after Tom O’flaherty’s equipment in one fell swoop for the hosts, but Tolosa was not over. Guillaume Cramont added gloss to the score with another powerful wave.

Tolosa faces a trip to rivals Tolone in the quarter -finals next weekend.