Sale Sharks kicked off the European season with a ruthless 49-6 bonus-point victory in the European Challenge Cup.
Fly-half Charlie Hodgson lit up a scrappy affair by scoring 20 points including the first of six Sharks tries to put Kingsley Jones' men on their way in Pool 4 at Edgeley Park.
Second half tries from Frenchman Sebastien Chabal, Steve Hanley, Chris Mayor and two from Richard Wigglesworth rounded off a convincing night's work.
The home side took an early lead through the boot of Hodgson who scored two penalties in a tight opening quarter played out in windy conditions.
But the home side's six-point lead lasted only four minutes when Sale and England prop Andrew Sheridan was caught with his hands in a ruck.
Montpellier full-back Mark McHugh took full advantage and got the visitors, who hadn't won away from home in 35 matches, on the scoresheet with a long-range penalty.
And the former Connacht man levelled the scores with his second long-distance goal four minutes before the interval.
Hodgson kicked his third goal before scoring the first try of the match on the stroke of half-time. He started and finished a terrific move after taking Mark Cueto's pass to end the match as a contest.
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