With the opening salvo of the 2025-26 Champions Cup concluded, we explore the key revelations emerging from the weekend's action.
Gallic supremacy has defined the competition in recent years, with the previous five victors all representing France's Top 14. Yet, the first weekend featured several impressive wins from new challengers.
Bordeaux Look Set to Retain Their Crown
Defending champions Bordeaux Begles were a class apart in the competition last season, overpowering Toulouse in the last four and subsequently Northampton in the grand finale.
Currently sitting sixth in the French league, some have suggested about their chances of defending the accomplishment this year. Yet, in round one, Bordeaux issued a reminder that they are fully equipped of achieving consecutive championships with a high-scoring away victory in South Africa.
Handed a difficult tie at a hostile venue against a formidable Bulls side including talents like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they went into the break down 33-22 at half-time.
Yet, demonstrating their pedigree, they showed their quality in the final 40 minutes, fighting back to claim a 46-33 victory – shutting out the Bulls without a point after the break.
Les Bleus stars aces Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey were among the try-scorers. Any team with those two on the flanks is a threat against any competition.
Powerful Bath Seem Poised of A Deep Run
Bath's only triumph in this competition came almost three decades ago. In the years since, they have perhaps not been more strongly positioned to secure another title.
The current English champions are leading the way domestically after six games and will be looking to transfer that success into the Champions Cup – on the back of a shocking early departure the previous season.
Johann van Graan's men looked a extremely well-rounded and balanced unit in their 40-14 win over Munster, who are third in the URC.
They blend creative spark – sealing the extra point inside 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, restraining their opponents at a distance when they threatened a dramatic comeback.
With players including Finn Russell and Ben Spencer in the half-backs and strength in depth across the roster, they are surely genuine challengers for a continental title since 1998.
Bath's pivotal moment in the initial phase a year ago came in the following week, an heartbreaking 22-21 setback at Benetton with a rotated team.
After winning a domestic championship under their belt and setting the pace in England once more, Van Graan might decide to concentrate more effort on the Champions Cup now.
Glasgow Give Sale a Significant Setback
The tournament contains quality outfits throughout the draw, but the first group looks set to be one of the most competitive.
In the competition's present structure, a lot is made about victories on your own turf, which is why Glasgow's win on the road at Sale on Friday evening might just turn out to be vital.
The Glasgow Warriors were trailing by 14 points after 20 minutes but came back strongly, and two tries during the beginning of the second half gave them a valuable maximum haul.
In doing so, they provided their chances of progressing a positive start and, conversely, dealt a hefty blow to their opponents.
With the red and blacks – dominant 56-19 victors over the Sharks – and Saracens, who brushed aside Clermont, sharing the group, we can expect high-stakes drama.
And as for Glasgow's traditional foes Edinburgh? They turned in one of their finest displays in Europe in recent memory to surprise heavyweights Toulon 33-20, on a fine weekend for Scottish rugby.
Is Ioane the Key Addition of the Leinster Jigsaw?
Should you pick one side you would expect to be there or thereabouts at the sharp end of the continental campaign, it would be four-time winners Leinster.
Yet in recent seasons it has ended in disappointment, as they have promised much but fallen short. Runners-up three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked heavy favourites a year ago after backing up a 62-0 mauling of Harlequins in the round of 16 with a 52-0 demolition over Glasgow in the last eight.
It was believed that Kiwi international Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to secure the title, but they were ambushed and experienced a surprise defeat to Northampton Saints in the last four.
This year they are bringing in another Kiwi, this time with Rieko Ioane, who provided a scoring pass on his debut in Saturday's 45-28 victory against Harlequins.
Could Ioane be the player to bring the trophy back to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Appear Prepared to Challenge
Ever since the teams from South Africa entered the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the best performance by any of them is the last eight, and in the last campaign no South African side succeeded in getting out of the pool phase, with several weakened teams fielded.
Is this the year that turns around? The Stormers are first in the URC and started their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 victory on the road at Bayonne on the opening night.
The post-match comments were encouraging too, with the squad and staff expressing their goals, and the players such as stars Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse unavailable for the round-one win.
The Stormers seem the most likely contender for a SA franchise to go deep into the event, but write off the Sharks and Bulls, who both lost this weekend but did face Toulouse and Bordeaux respectively.
Saints and Pau Deliver a Classic Encounter
There were several candidates for game of the weekend, and this one was among the best.
Pau have been enjoying a superb season, led by stars Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and former Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson.
They are presently second in the French championship and the crowd was raucous at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
