Sale lost their first game under new coach Paul Deacon with a defeat in Toulon in the Heineken Champions Cup.

Sale kept up a solid defence for 20 minutes, but Gabin Villiere eventually crossed for the three-time champions.

Argentina wing Ramiro Moyano added a second try before Marland Yarde and James Phillips' late scores offered some consolation for Sale.

Toulon fly-half Louis Carbonel - who made his international debut for France in November - was impressive from the tee, scoring 16 points for the hosts.

Late Sale surge not enough

Sale looked unperturbed by their sudden coaching change as they kept Toulon at bay early on, but the French side eventually got on the scoreboard with a Carbonel penalty.

Fly-half AJ MacGinty missed a chance at three points and Carbonel doubled his side's lead before setting up the opening try.

The 21-year-old chipped the ball over Sale's defence, gathered and sent it left for former sevens player Villiere to score.

Carbonel added six more points either side of half-time as Sale's ill discipline continued before a classy overhead offload from Italy legend Sergio Parisse set up Moyano's score.

A late Sale surge ensured they did not leave scoreless, with Sam James chipping over for Sam Dugdale, whose impressive backhand pass sent Yarde over.

South Africa scrum-half Faf de Klerk also made his presence felt off the bench, finding Phillips with a pin-point pass that allowed the lock to score the Sharks' second.

Sale welcome Edinburgh to the AJ Bell next Saturday, while Toulon travel to Llanelli to play Scarlets on Friday.

This year's tournament has a new format, with two 12-team pools. Each team plays two other sides from their pool in home and away fixtures.

Then, the top four teams from each pool advance to the quarter-finals, while the sides placed fifth to eighth in both pools drop into the European Challenge Cup.

Line-ups

Toulon: Paia'aua; Moyano, Toeava, Nonu, Villiere; Carbonel, Serin; Gros, Etrillard, Setiano, Etzebeth, Alainu'uese, Rebbadj, Lakafia, Parisse.

Replacements: Tolofua, Devauz, Tchelidze, Taofifenua, Isa, Moretti, Meric, Dakuwaqa.

Sale: L James; Yarde, R Du Preez, S Hill, Hammersley; MacGinty, Cliff; Rodd, Van der Merwe, John, Postlethwaite, Phillips, Wiese, Ross (capt), J-L du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Harrison, Cooper-Woolley, Ashman, Dugdale, de Klerk, S James, Solomona.