European Champions Cup results: Scarlets edge Toulonnais, Sale lose to Saracens
Scarlets 22-21 Toulonnais
Leigh Halfpenny missed two late penalties as Scarlets held on to secure a famous 22-21 victory over Toulon in the Champions Cup at Parc y Scarlets.
Halfpenny kicked seven penalties but crucially was wayward with four other attempts - two in each half.
Scarlets had led from the 11th minute when Rhys Patchell, who supplied 17 points with the boot, kicked a penalty, with man of the match Scott Williams scoring the only try of the match in the first half.
Toulon, who had replacement Florian Fresia sent to the sin bin, had to settle for a losing bonus point as they went down to their second defeat in Pool 3.
Sale Sharks 10-26 Saracens
Owen Farrell took centre-stage as Saracens claimed a record-equalling 13th straight European Champions Cup win which meant Denny Solomona suffered a losing debut for Sale.
Farrell scored a late try and kicked 14 points as the reigning European champions matched Munster's record of successive wins with a hard-fought 26-10 victory.
For the second match in succession, Sale had three players sin-binned against Saracens, but this was a vastly improved display from last week's 50-3 hammering at Allianz Park.
Solomona played 80 minutes on the right wing but could not find the whitewash as Saracens produced a typically clinical display to underline their class.
Nathan Earle scored a second try late on for Saracens before Sale lock Bryn Evans grabbed a last-gasp consolation for the hosts, who slipped to their sixth straight defeat.
Castres 29-23 Montpellier
Castres revived their Champions Cup ambitions with a 29-23 Pool 4 victory over Montpellier.
Challenge Cup holders Montpellier were made to pay for their indiscipline when Paul Willemse became their second player in a fortnight to be given a red card after tries from Akapusi Qera, Jesse Mogg and Nemani Nadolo had put them in sight of victory.
Willemse's dismissal for a shoulder charge then led to Castres' Alexandre Bias securing the winning try, after they had remained in contention from Horacio Agulla's earlier score and 19 points from Benjamin Urdapilleta's boot.
Clermont Auvergne 38-19 Ulster
Clermont Auvergne resisted a second-half fightback from Ulster to claim a 38-19 triumph at Stade Marcel Michelin.
A first-half double from Nick Abendanon and Isaiah Toeava's first-minute score had Clermont cruising to victory.
Camille Lopez scored the bonus-point try after half-time to move the French side six points clear at the top of Champions Cup pool five, before Ulster almost produced a stunning comeback.
Tommy Bowe crossed twice to add to Franco van der Merwe's drive over score, but a late penalty try ended hopes of a losing bonus point.