Paris (France) (AFP) - France superstar Antoine Dupont scored two tries as Toulouse reached the Champions Cup last 16 on Saturday with a 77-7 hammering of Sale.

Ugo Mola’s side strolled over for 11 tries as the six-time winners avoided missing out on the knock-out stages for the first time since 2016.

Toulouse look likely to play their last 16 tie at home, but will have to play away from home if they go further in the competition.

“We enjoyed ourselves,” Dupont told reporters.

“We know it’s always harder away from home, it’s not the easiest route but we’re capable of going far especially when we’re at our best,” the 29-year-old added.

Tom Curtis’s second-half converted try was Sale’s only score after the already-qualified English side had made a host of changes for the game.

Toulouse’s win eliminated the Sharks, despite the South Africans’ 50-12 win over Clermont earlier in the day.

In-form Glasgow host three-time champions Saracens on Sunday in the final game in the group with the Scottish side eyeing a top seed in the last 16.

Mola’s Toulouse were hampered by injuries, with Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn partnering captain Dupont at half-back in the absence of France fly-half Romain Ntamack.

Alex Sanderson made nine changes to Sale’s side from last Saturday’s win over the Sharks, which sealed the English club’s first last-16 spot in the tournament since 2022.

The home side raced into a 28-0 lead at the interval with Dupont’s score after a Matthis Lebel break the highlight of the first half.

The visitors ended the half with 13 players as winger Alex Wills and No.8 Sam Dugdale were yellow-carded moments before the break.

Toulouse sealed the crushing win with seven tries in the final 40 minutes as France flanker Francois Cros made his first appearance since September due to an injury.

Cros’s return was a timely boost for France head coach Fabien Galthie before he names his Six Nations squad on Wednesday.

- Stellar Sacha -

Earlier, South Africa fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored seven points as the Stormers beat Leicester 39-26 to seal their place in the last 16 from Pool 3.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23, slotted two conversions and a penalty as his side crossed five times in total in rainy conditions in Cape Town as they bounced back from last Sunday’s 61-10 thumping at Harlequins.

Defeat left the Tigers’ last 16 chances hanging by a thread, with La Rochelle needing only a single point from their home match with Quins to snatch the last knock-out spot from Pool 3.

Four-time winners Leinster produced a solid comeback to beat Bayonne 22-13, having already made sure of their knock-out berth from the group.

In Pool 2, Castres stunned Munster 31-29 in Limerick to reach the next round and knock out the two-time winners.

Later in the same group, Toulon beat Gloucester 31-14 to secure the French club’s last 16 spot as well as Edinburgh’s place in the next round.

English champions Bath hammered the Scottish side 63-10 on Friday, when the Bulls edged Pau 26-24 in Pool 4 to keep their hopes of progress alive.

Scarlets, who head to Northampton on Sunday, could yet deny the Bulls a spot in the knock-outs.

Champions Bordeaux-Begles travel to Bristol on Sunday, with both teams already in the next round.