Carbonel in control but Sharks show fight
SALE’S troubled week which saw the departure of director of rugby Steve Diamond ended as they were taken apart by Louis Carbonel, a 21-yearold future gem of a French fly-half.
Carbonel, a replacement against England last Sunday, showed just why he is considered a key element of his country’s planning for the next World Cup.
Sale, 26-0 down, hit back with two late converted tries but it was all too late after the prodigious Carbonel was instrumental in putting the three-times champions firmly in the driving seat.
He kicked three first-half penalties and fashioned a superbly-constructed try for left-wing Gabin Villiere to put Toulon into a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Sale were already 6-0 down when a loose kick by full-back Luke James proved costly.
With acres of space behind him, James redeemed himself by charging down a kick from Villiere but, after Toulon won the resulting lineout, Carbonel demonstrated his enterprise by kicking over the defence, collecting and finding Villiere who beat two men on his way to the line.
The fly-half ’s tactical kicking was exceptional, he was safe under the high ball and he showed his appetite and ambition as he kicked ahead, chased and tackled opposite number AJ MacGinty.
Sharks prop WillGriff John was pinged for collapsing the resulting scrum and Carbonel made it four kicks from four with the penalty to put the French side 16-0 ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Carbonel stretched the lead with his fourth minute penalty four minutes into the second-half before Toulon struck again with a second top-drawer try.
Replacement hooker Christopher Tolofua powered through before finding former Italy captain Sergio Parisse who returned a one-handed overarm pass from the right touchline to send winger Ramiro Moyano in.
Toulon looked to be in complete control but failed to push on for the bonus point as the introduction of Faf de Klerk for scrum-half Will Cliff added bite to the Sharks – and posed the question: Why didn’t he start the match!
Re-energised by their replacements, Sale hit back with two tries as two of the subs combined, with Sam James chipping his kick over the top and Sam Dugdale flicking out a one-handed pass, to send Marland Yarde over in the corner.
Four minutes later forward pressure paid off with De Klerk’s pass sending hard-working lock James Phillips in between the posts.
With MacGinty converting both, Sale were suddenly chasing the unlikely prospect of a losing bonus-point.
But they failed to cash in on their penalties with over-ambition causing Rob du Preez to miss touch in the corner before a shaky Sharks attacking lineout mis-functioned twice and the opportunity was gone.
Both sides will be disappointed. Toulon will rue the missed bonus while Sale should be frustrated that set-piece inaccuracy cost them a consolation point after sheer dogged endeavour – and their replacements – dragged them back into a match already lost.