Debutant Ashton at the double in emphatic Toulon win
Chris Ashton scored a second-half double on his competitive debut as Toulon started the Top 14 season with an emphatic 41-14 drubbing of Pau on Sunday.
The former Saracens and England wing touched down twice in quick succession during the second half at Stade Mayol, where the three-time European champions outscored Pau by four tries to two.
Hugo Bonneval, another new recruit, and Marcel van der Merwe went over in the first half and Anthony Belleau scored 13 points from the tee to put Toulon 23-7 up at the break, Pierrick Gunther crossing for the visitors.
Ashton stole the show following the interval, intercepting a stray pass from Colin Slade to score his first try and finishing off a slick move on the right six minutes later.
The clinical Ashton also produced a try-saving tackle in an impressive bow in the French top flight, while Bonneval took his points tally to 21 as Toulon hit the ground running.
Florian Nicot scored the other try for a Pau side that were soundly beaten.
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ABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
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