With the first round of the 2025-26 Champions Cup concluded, we delve into the key revelations emerging from the weekend's action.
Top 14 superiority has defined the competition in the past few campaigns, with the past five winners all representing France's Top 14. However, the opening round featured multiple statement victories from emerging challengers.
Bordeaux Seem Ready to Retain Their Crown
Defending champions Bordeaux Begles were utterly dominant in this tournament the previous campaign, dismantling Toulouse in the last four and afterwards Northampton in the showpiece.
Positioned sixth in the domestic standings, doubts have been raised about their ability to repeat the feat now. Yet, in round one, Bordeaux issued a reminder that they are fully equipped of achieving back-to-back titles with a points-laden away victory in South Africa.
Given a difficult tie at the Bulls' fortress against a strong Bulls side featuring internationals like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they went into the break down 33-22 at half-time.
But, demonstrating their pedigree, they showed their quality in the second half, fighting back to secure a 46-33 victory – shutting out the Bulls scoreless after the interval.
Les Bleus stars machines Damian Penaud and star wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey each crossed the try-line. Any side with that pair on the edges is a threat against whoever they face.
Impressive Bath Appear Equipped of A Deep Run
Bath's sole success in this competition came almost three decades ago. Since that time, they have probably never been more prepared to win it again.
The defending English Premiership champions are top of the pile in the league after six games and will be hoping to transfer that success into Europe – especially after a shocking early departure the previous season.
Johann van Graan's team looked a highly composed and polished team in their 40-14 win over Munster, who are highly placed in the United Rugby Championship.
They combine creative spark – sealing the bonus point inside 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, keeping their opponents at a distance when they looked like mounting a fightback.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Ben Spencer in the half-backs and strength in depth across the squad, they must be viewed as credible threats for a maiden Champions Cup since 1998.
Bath's defining match in the pools last season was in the next fixture, an narrow 22-21 setback at Benetton with a changed side.
Now with a league trophy in their history and setting the pace domestically again, Van Graan might decide to place greater emphasis on the Champions Cup this season.
Glasgow Deal Sale a Tough Start
You will find strong teams throughout the draw, but their section looks set 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 opening night might just turn out to be vital.
The Scottish side were 14-0 down after 20 minutes but came back strongly, and two tries early in the second period gave them a valuable bonus-point win.
By achieving this, they handed their hopes of advancing a significant early boost and, conversely, inflicted a hefty blow to Sale.
With the red and blacks – imperious 56-19 conquerors of the Sharks – and Saracens, who brushed aside Clermont, also in the pool, we should be in for plenty of fireworks.
And as for Glasgow's traditional foes Edinburgh? They produced one of their top continental showings in recent memory to stun heavyweights Toulon 33-20, on a excellent weekend for Scottish rugby.
Is Ioane the Missing Ingredient of the Leinster Jigsaw?
If there's one team you would predict to be challenging at the sharp end of the continental campaign, it would be multiple champions Leinster.
However in recent campaigns it has not worked out, as they have shown great potential but not won the trophy. Finalists three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked overwhelming favourites the previous campaign 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 Kiwi international Jordie Barrett would be the key player to take them over the line, but they were caught out and suffered a stunning upset to Northampton Saints in the last four.
This year they are trying the All Black experiment again, this time with Rieko Ioane, who provided a scoring pass on his debut in Saturday's 45-28 win over Harlequins.
Could Ioane be the player to return the cup to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Look Ready to Step Up
Ever since the teams from South Africa entered the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the furthest any of their teams have got is the last eight, and last year not a single one was able to progress out of the pool phase, with several weakened teams selected.
Will this be the campaign that is different? The Stormers are first in the URC and began 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 individuals involved expressing their aspirations, and the likes of South African internationals Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse not involved for the first match.
The Stormers appear the best bet for a team from South Africa to progress far in the tournament, but don't count out the Sharks and Bulls, who both lost this weekend but did face formidable opponents respectively.
The English and French Sides Serve Up a Classic Encounter
There were multiple possibilities for match of the round, and this one was among the best.
Pau have been having a brilliant campaign, led by stars Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and former Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson.
They are currently in second place in the French league and the stadium was buzzing at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
