Following the initial matches of the latest Champions Cup concluded, we explore the key revelations emerging from the weekend's action.
French dominance has been the narrative in recent seasons, with the last five champions all calling home France's elite division. However, the first weekend featured several impressive wins from potential contenders.
Bordeaux Appear Primed to Retain Their Crown
Current holders Bordeaux Begles were a class apart in the competition last season, dominating Toulouse in the last four and then Northampton in the final.
Lying sixth in the French league, questions have been asked about their chances of defending the title now. Yet, in the first round, Bordeaux issued a reminder that they are more than capable of securing another trophy with a free-flowing win on the road in South Africa.
Given a challenging fixture at a hostile venue against a strong Bulls side including talents like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they were behind 33-22 at the break.
Yet, true to their champion status, they unleashed their power in the final 40 minutes, roaring back to seal a 46-33 victory – holding the Bulls to zero after the interval.
France international phenoms Damian Penaud and star wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey both got on the scoresheet. Any side with those two on the wings stands a good chance against any opponent.
Powerful Bath Look Capable of A Deep Run
Bath's only triumph in the Champions Cup dates back almost a generation ago. Since that time, they have perhaps not been more prepared to secure another title.
The defending English Premiership champions are setting the pace domestically after six games and will be aiming to transfer that success into the Champions Cup – on the back of 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 third in the Celtic league.
They combine offensive flair – sealing the bonus point in under 20 minutes at the Rec – with tough tackling, holding their visitors at bay when they attempted a dramatic comeback.
With players including Finn Russell and Ben Spencer in the half-backs and quality reserves across the team, they must be viewed as serious contenders for a first European trophy since 1998.
Bath's key result in the initial phase last season was in the second round, an heartbreaking 22-21 setback at Benetton with a rotated team.
Having secured a league trophy under their belt and top the home league, Van Graan may feel able to concentrate more effort on the Champions Cup this year.
Glasgow Hand Sale a Significant Setback
The tournament contains powerful sides everywhere you look, but their section seems destined to be one of the most competitive.
In the competition's present structure, a lot is emphasized regarding winning your home games, which is why Glasgow's win on the road at Sale on the first day might just prove crucial.
The team from Scotland 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 all-important five points.
With this result, they gave their chances of progressing a positive start and, in turn, dealt a hefty blow to Sale.
With Toulouse – commanding 56-19 conquerors of the Sharks – and Saracens, who comfortably defeated Clermont, sharing the group, we should be in for high-stakes drama.
And what of Glasgow's old rivals Edinburgh? They delivered one of their best European performances in recent memory to surprise three-time winners Toulon 33-20, on a successful weekend for rugby in Scotland.
Could Ioane the Final Piece of the Leinster Jigsaw?
Should you pick one side you would predict to be in the mix at the later stages of the season in Europe, it would be four-time winners Leinster.
However in the last few years it has not worked out, as they have promised much but fallen short. Beaten finalists three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked the team to beat a year ago after backing up a 62-0 thrashing of Harlequins in the last 16 with a 52-0 destruction over Glasgow in the quarter-final.
It was believed that Kiwi international Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to win the championship, but they were ambushed and endured a surprise defeat to Northampton Saints in the semi-final.
Now they are trying the All Black experiment again, this time with Rieko Ioane, who provided a key pass on his debut in Saturday's 45-28 victory against Harlequins.
Will Ioane prove to bring the trophy back to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Appear Equipped to Compete
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 managed to make it out of the pool phase, with often rotated sides fielded.
Could this be the season that is different? The Stormers are leading the URC and kicked off their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 victory on the road at Bayonne on the opening night.
The reactions after the game were encouraging too, with individuals involved talking about their ambition, and the players such as stars Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse unavailable for the first match.
The Stormers appear the strongest candidate for a South African side to have a long run in the tournament, but write off the Sharks and Bulls, who each suffered defeat in their first games but did play Toulouse and Bordeaux respectively.
Northampton and Pau Produce a Memorable Match
There were multiple possibilities for match of the round, and that clash was among the best.
Pau have been enjoying a superb season, guided by Pumas Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and ex-England half-back Dan Robson.
They are presently in second place in the French league and the atmosphere was electric at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
