Following the opening salvo of the 2025-26 Champions Cup in the books, we examine the major talking points emerging from the weekend's action.
Top 14 superiority has been the narrative in recent seasons, with the previous five victors all calling home France's elite division. However, the first weekend featured a number of impressive wins from potential challengers.
Bordeaux Appear Primed to Go Back-to-Back
Reigning title-holders Bordeaux Begles were utterly dominant in the competition last season, dismantling Toulouse in the last four and afterwards Northampton in the grand finale.
Currently sitting sixth in the Top 14, some have suggested about their chances of defending the title this year. But, in the first round, Bordeaux sent a message that they are fully equipped of winning another trophy with a high-scoring win on the road in South Africa.
Handed a difficult tie at a hostile venue against a powerful Bulls side including talents like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they were behind 33-22 at the interval.
However, true to their champion status, they displayed their class in the final 40 minutes, storming back to seal a 46-33 victory – holding the Bulls to zero after the break.
Les Bleus stars phenoms Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey were among the try-scorers. Any side with that pair on the wings has a chance against any opponent.
Powerful Bath Appear Equipped of Going the Distance
Bath's only triumph in the Champions Cup was almost 30 years ago. Throughout the ensuing period, they have perhaps not been more strongly positioned to add a second star.
The defending English Premiership champions are top of the pile at home after six games and will be aiming to translate that form into the Champions Cup – especially after a shocking early departure the previous season.
Johann van Graan's team looked a extremely well-rounded and balanced unit in their 40-14 defeat of Munster, who are highly placed in the URC.
They combine offensive flair – earning the try-scoring point in under 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, keeping their guests at bay when they threatened a dramatic comeback.
With stars such as Finn Russell and Ben Spencer pulling the strings and strength in depth all over the team, they must be viewed as credible threats for a first European trophy since 1998.
Bath's key result in the initial phase last season was in the next fixture, an heartbreaking 22-21 loss at Benetton with a changed side.
After winning a domestic championship under their belt and setting the pace domestically again, Van Graan may feel able to place greater emphasis on the Champions Cup this season.
Glasgow Deal Sale a Major Blow
The tournament contains powerful sides in every pool, but Pool One looks set to be one of the tightest.
In the competition's present structure, a lot is said about securing home wins, which is why Glasgow's triumph at an opponent's ground at Sale on Friday evening might just turn out to be vital.
The Scottish side were trailing by 14 points after 20 minutes but responded with character, and two tries during the beginning of the second period gave them a valuable bonus-point win.
With this result, they gave their chances of progressing a significant early boost and, conversely, inflicted a significant setback to the Sharks.
With Toulouse – dominant 56-19 conquerors of the Sharks – and Saracens, who comfortably defeated Clermont, sharing the group, we can expect plenty of fireworks.
And what of Glasgow's old rivals Edinburgh? They turned in one of their finest displays in Europe in years to shock three-time winners Toulon 33-20, on a successful weekend for the Scottish game.
Is Ioane the Key Addition of the Leinster Quest?
Should you pick one side you would expect to be challenging at the sharp end of the Champions Cup, it would be four-time winners Leinster.
Yet in the last few years it has ended in disappointment, as they have promised much but not won the trophy. Runners-up three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked the team to beat last season after following up a 62-0 rout of Harlequins in the round of 16 with a 52-0 win over Glasgow in the last eight.
It was believed that New Zealand full-back Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to win the championship, but they were ambushed and suffered a surprise defeat to Northampton Saints in the semi.
This year they are testing another New Zealand import, this time with Rieko Ioane, who claimed a try assist 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 occasion since 2018?
Stormers Look Ready to Step Up
Since the South African sides entered the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the best performance by any of them is the quarter-finals, and last year none of them was able to progress out of the group stage, with plenty of squads not at full strength used.
Could this be the season that is different? The Stormers are first in the URC and kicked off their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 triumph in France at Bayonne on the opening night.
The post-match comments were positive too, with the squad and staff talking about their ambition, and the players such as Springboks Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse not involved for the round-one win.
The Stormers appear the most likely contender for a South African side to progress far in the tournament, but don't count out the Sharks and Bulls, who both lost this weekend but did meet Toulouse and Bordeaux respectively.
Northampton and Pau Serve Up a Memorable Match
There were several candidates for game of the weekend, and that clash was among the best.
Pau have been enjoying a outstanding campaign, spearheaded by stars Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and veteran playmaker Dan Robson.
They are right now in second place in the Top 14 and the crowd was raucous at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
