With the opening salvo of the 2025-26 Champions Cup in the books, we examine the major talking points stemming from the games.
Top 14 superiority has been the narrative in the past few campaigns, with the last five champions all hailing from France's Top 14. However, the opening round showcased several statement victories from emerging rivals.
Bordeaux Look Set to Defend Their Title
Reigning title-holders Bordeaux Begles were a class apart in Europe a year ago, dominating Toulouse in the semi-final and afterwards Northampton in the final.
Positioned sixth in the Top 14, some have suggested about their ability to repeat the accomplishment now. Yet, in the first round, Bordeaux served notice that they are well-positioned of achieving another trophy with a high-scoring triumph on foreign soil in South Africa.
Handed a tough assignment at Loftus Versfeld against a formidable Bulls side featuring internationals like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they were behind 33-22 at the interval.
But, demonstrating their pedigree, they unleashed their power in the second half, fighting back to seal a 46-33 victory – shutting out the Bulls without a point after the halftime.
Les Bleus stars phenoms Damian Penaud and global award contender Louis Bielle-Biarrey both got on the scoresheet. Any outfit with such firepower on the edges has a chance against whoever they face.
Powerful Bath Appear Equipped of A Deep Run
Bath's lone victory in Europe was almost three decades ago. Since that time, they have perhaps not been more strongly positioned to add a second star.
The current English champions are leading the way domestically after six games and will be aiming to translate that form into Europe – on the back of a shocking early departure last year.
Johann van Graan's team looked a highly composed and composed outfit in their 40-14 victory against Munster, who are among the leaders in the United Rugby Championship.
They combine offensive flair – earning the extra point within 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, restraining their opponents at arm's length when they attempted a fightback.
With stars such as Finn Russell and Ben Spencer directing play and quality reserves across the squad, they must be viewed as genuine challengers for a continental title since 1998.
Bath's pivotal moment in the initial phase the previous year occurred in the following week, an agonising 22-21 defeat at Benetton with a squad players.
Now with a domestic championship under their belt and leading in England once more, Van Graan might decide to put a heightened focus on the Champions Cup now.
Glasgow Give Sale a Tough Start
You will find quality outfits throughout the draw, but Pool One appears poised to be one of the most fiercely contested.
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 the first day might just be pivotal.
The Glasgow Warriors were trailing by 14 points after 20 minutes but responded with character, and two tries early in the second half gave them a all-important bonus-point win.
With this result, they provided their prospects of qualification a significant early boost and, by contrast, handed a damaging defeat to Sale.
With the red and blacks – imperious 56-19 winners against the Sharks – and Saracens, who comfortably defeated Clermont, sharing the group, we are likely to see many thrilling contests.
And what of Glasgow's Scottish counterparts Edinburgh? They produced one of their top continental showings in a long time to stun heavyweights Toulon 33-20, on a successful weekend for Scottish rugby.
Is Ioane the Missing Ingredient of the Leinster Jigsaw?
If there's one team you would expect to be challenging at the later stages of the Champions Cup, it would be European giants 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 overwhelming favourites last season after backing up a 62-0 rout of Harlequins in the last 16 with a 52-0 destruction over Glasgow in the quarter-final.
It was hoped that All Black star Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to win the championship, but they were caught out and experienced a stunning upset to Northampton Saints in the semi.
Now they are trying the All Black experiment again, this time with Rieko Ioane, who provided a scoring pass on his bow in Saturday's 45-28 victory against Harlequins.
Could Ioane be the player to secure European glory to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Look Ready to Step Up
Since the South African sides entered the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the furthest any of their teams have got is the quarter-finals, and the previous season no South African side managed to make it out of the pool phase, with plenty of rotated sides selected.
Is this the year that turns around? The Stormers are first in the URC and started their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 away win at Bayonne on the opening night.
The words from players and coaches were encouraging too, with the squad and staff speaking of their aspirations, and the caliber of stars Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse absent for the opening victory.
The Stormers look the best bet for a SA franchise to have a long run in the competition, although don't count out the Sharks and Bulls, who both lost in the opening round but did meet Toulouse and Bordeaux respectively.
Saints and Pau Produce a Classic Encounter
There were several candidates for best fixture, and that clash was a leading candidate.
Pau have been enjoying a brilliant season, guided by Pumas Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and ex-England half-back Dan Robson.
They are right now runner-up in the Top 14 and the crowd was raucous at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
