SALE Sharks kick-started their European Challenge Cup with a bonus point 29-20 win over a resilient Pau side at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The Sharks dominated the first three minutes of the game, as they looked to start the game on a bright note.

Andrei Ostrikov made a great carry in to the 22, and he offloaded to Magnus Lund. The captain passed it to the South African prop Brian Mujati, who powered his way over to get the first try of the game.

Joe Ford got the conversion to make it 7-0 after five minutes.

Pau fought back though, as Sireli Bobo made a break down the right wing but Sam James made a great covering tackle, but knocked on as he tackled.

However the Sharks pack earned a penalty from the scrum, and Joe Ford cleared the side's lines.

Pau got their first points on the board through the boot of scrum-half Thibault Daubagna to reduce the deficit to four points.

Fly-half Ford was playing the territory game as he was putting good probing kicks through which pinned the visitors back in their own 22, and meant they had to play out deep in their own half.

The French side applied a lot of pressure into the Sharks 22, though their big forward pack, and got a deserved try of their own through Quentin Lespiaucq as he crashed his way over following a number of continuous pick and gos to take a 10-7 lead.

The home side responded immediately as centre Mark Jennings made a superb break and it eventually led to a penalty being awarded to the Sharks.

From the resultant line-out, Jennings got his deserved try and scored in the corner, following a Will Addison offload. Joe Ford got the touchline conversion to make it 14-10 after 27 minutes.

For the next five minutes, the game evolved into a scrappy game as both sides looked to extend their lead heading into the interval.

Tom Brady sprinted down the right wing, and offloaded to Viliami Fihaki, who held on to the ball after a few juggles.

He passed it to captain Lund on his inside, but he knocked it on.

With the final play of the first half, Sale were penalised for being offside, and Daubagna punished the hosts to make it 14-13 at half-time.

Steve Diamond's team-talk paid off as TJ Ioane won a penalty which Ford dispatched.

But Pau hit back when their forwards forced their way over the line and Quentin Lespiaucq emerged under the see of bodies to score his second try of the game.

With Daubagna adding the extras, the Sharks were trailing for the first time in the game.

The Sharks fought back immediately though, and they took a quick lineout in the Pau 22, and it looked like Mike Haley was about to score from it but the French side kept them out.

However the hosts showed patience in their attack, and eventually Sam James scored for the Sharks and Ford got the conversion, which it 24-20 with 51 minutes gone.

On the hour mark, James thought he had scored another try following a neat finish but the referee spotted a knock-on much to the dismay of the home fans.

There was danger on 66 minutes, as Pau made a break downfield as Josefa Domolailai galloped his way over halfway and into the Sharks 22, but great cover defence from Haley and Cusiter forced him to knock on.

The last 10 minutes were about Sale pushing for their fourth try and they eventually got it after 77 minutes, as number 8 Fihaki scored a close range try. Ford missed the conversion to make the final score 29-20 to the Sharks.