Paris (France) (AFP) - Italy international Ange Capuozzo scored a hat-trick of tries as Toulouse saw off the South African franchise Sharks 56-19 in their Champions Cup opener on Sunday.

In a mixed day’s action for French clubs, Toulon lost 33-20 at Edinburgh, Pau fell to last season’s beaten finalists Northampton 35-27, while Gloucester beat Castres 34-14.

In Toulouse, Capuozzo opened the scoring for the home side against the Durban-based Sharks, who had rested the majority of their Springbok players.

Hooker Julien Marchand then crossed for a quick-fire double, firstly driving over off the back of a maul set up by an attacking line-out before showing all his strength for another close-range foray following a Makazole Mapimpi knock-on.

When Mapimpi was caught in possession in his own 22m area, Paul Graou played a quick tap penalty and centre Kalvin Gourgues fired through midfield for a fine try, handing Toulouse a bonus point by the 24th minute.

Toulouse coach Ugo Mola found some “individual performances weren’t up to par” as he accused some players of easing up after securing the bonus point.

“That may have affected the last fifteen minutes of the first half and the first fifteen minutes of the second,” said Mola, as the Sharks took advantage, dominating possession in Toulouse’s half and scoring two tries.

Nick Hatton claimed one back for the Sharks after Ross Braude broke clean through the line-out to leave it 28-5 at the break.

Braude added a try of his own early in the second half as a raft of replacements, including Antoine Dupont on for Graou, disrupted Toulouse’s rhythm.

Home concerns were buried when Capuozzo grabbed his second after a slick move straight off the training ground.

Replacement back-rower Mathis Castro-Ferreira was then driven over before Capuozzo sealed his hat-trick, latching on to his own grubber ahead.

Sharks’ Namibian international Le Roux Malan got the South Africans’ third try of the evening, but Toulouse had the last word when Teddy Thomas crossed for his team’s eighth try.

Thomas Ramos, the France full-back playing at fly-half, kicked all eight conversions for a personal tally of 16 points.

Meanwhile Mola was already looking towards next week’s trip to Glasgow who won 26-21 at Sale on Friday.

“We’ve had our minds on Glasgow for a while now; they’re the team to beat in the group, an international side with over 480 caps between them. They’re a serious team, constantly improving over several seasons,” he warned.

“We’re going to play in Glasgow on a Saturday at 8pm, for those who know Scotland, it won’t be a sunny afternoon…,” smiled Mola.

- Toulon slip up -

Fellow French side Toulon slipped to defeat in torrential rain in Edinburgh despite a brace from their Scottish scrum-half Ben White.

The three-time champions had started brightly at the Hive Stadium with a Melvyn Jaminet drop goal and scrum-half White’s try inside six minutes.

But Edinburgh hit back through Pierre Schoeman and Ben Vellacott to keep pace and lead 18-17 at the interval.

The playing conditions and Jaminet’s early injury then cost Toulon, who lost their way in the second half.

Northampton, beaten in last year’s final by Bordeaux-Begles, left it late for their bonus-point 35-27 victory over Pau, in Champions Cup action after a 25-year absence.

The two sides were level on 27 points apiece with four minutes to play.

George Hendy crossed for the vital try for the Saints, Fin Smith kicking an injury-time penalty to deprive Pau even of a defensive bonus point.

Argentina No.8 Facundo Isa and Gregoire Arfeuil crossed for first-half tries for Pau, nullified by efforts from James Ramm and Fraser Dingwall.

Ramm nabbed a second three minutes into the second period before being shown a red card for hauling down Pau lock Thomas Jolmes in the air.

Arfeuil also went over for a brace before England scrum-half Alex Mitchell’s five-pointer, Smith then feeding Hendy for his last-gasp game winner.

Gloucester also nabbed a bonus point in their win over Castres, Freddie Thomas, Will Trenholm and Charlie Atkinson (2) all scoring tries.