Following the opening salvo of the new season's Champions Cup in the books, we examine the primary lessons emerging from the fixtures.
Gallic supremacy has been the narrative in recent years, with the previous five victors all calling home France's top flight. But, the first weekend showcased multiple convincing performances from potential contenders.
Bordeaux Look Set to Defend Their Title
Reigning title-holders Bordeaux Begles were imperious in Europe a year ago, dominating Toulouse in the last four and afterwards Northampton in the final.
Positioned sixth in the French league, questions have been asked about their ability to repeat the title this season. Yet, in the first round, Bordeaux sent a message that they are more than capable of securing another trophy with a free-flowing win on the road in South Africa.
Handed a challenging fixture at the Bulls' fortress against a strong Bulls side including internationals like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they found themselves trailing 33-22 at half-time.
But, true to their champion status, they showed their quality in the final 40 minutes, roaring back to seal a 46-33 victory – keeping the Bulls without a point after the interval.
French try-scoring machines Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey both got on the scoresheet. Any side with those two on the wings is a threat against whoever they face.
Powerful Bath Appear Equipped of Challenging for the Title
Bath's sole success in the Champions Cup dates back almost 30 years ago. In the years since, they have arguably not been better equipped to secure another title.
The current English champions are setting the pace at home after six games and will be hoping to carry that momentum into the Champions Cup – on the back of a shocking early departure last year.
Johann van Graan's team looked a very complete and composed outfit in their 40-14 victory against Munster, who are among the leaders in the URC.
They marry attacking verve – sealing the extra point in under 20 minutes at the Rec – with resolute defending, holding their guests at a distance when they threatened a fightback.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Ben Spencer in the half-backs and a deep squad throughout the team, they must be viewed as serious contenders for a first European trophy since 1998.
Bath's defining match in the initial phase a year ago occurred in the second round, an agonising 22-21 setback at Benetton with a squad players.
After winning a Premiership title under their belt and leading the home league, Van Graan could be inclined to concentrate more effort on the Champions Cup this year.
Glasgow Hand Sale a Major Blow
There are powerful sides throughout the draw, but the first group seems destined to be one of the tightest.
In the competition's present structure, a lot is emphasized regarding securing home wins, which is why Glasgow's win on the road at Sale on Friday evening might just prove crucial.
The Glasgow Warriors were trailing by 14 points after 20 minutes but fought back impressively, and two tries at the start of the second half gave them a all-important bonus-point win.
By achieving this, they gave their prospects of qualification a positive start and, in turn, dealt a significant setback to Sale.
With Toulouse – dominant 56-19 conquerors of the Sharks – and Saracens, who brushed aside Clermont, also in the pool, we are likely to see high-stakes drama.
And what of Glasgow's old rivals Edinburgh? They delivered one of their finest displays in Europe in years to stun three-time winners Toulon 33-20, on a excellent weekend for the Scottish game.
Could Ioane the Missing Ingredient of the Leinster Jigsaw?
If there's one team you would predict to be challenging at the later stages of the Champions Cup, it would be multiple champions Leinster.
Yet in the last few years it hasn't gone to plan, as they have been favourites but delivered little. Finalists three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked overwhelming favourites a year ago after building on 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 New Zealand full-back Jordie Barrett would be the final piece to win the championship, but they were caught out and endured a surprise defeat to Northampton Saints in the last four.
Now they are trying the All Black experiment again, this time with Rieko Ioane, who claimed a scoring pass on his bow in Saturday's 45-28 victory against Harlequins.
Is Ioane the man to return the cup to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Seem Ready to Step Up
Since the South African sides joined the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the furthest any of their teams have got 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 changes? The Stormers are top of the URC and began their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 away win at Bayonne on the opening night.
The reactions after the game were promising too, with individuals involved speaking of their goals, and the likes of Springboks Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse absent for the first match.
The Stormers look the best bet for a South African side to have a long run in the tournament, but do not rule out the Sharks and Bulls, who each suffered defeat this weekend but did play Toulouse and Bordeaux respectively.
The English and French Sides Serve Up a Classic Encounter
There were multiple possibilities for best fixture, and this one was right up there.
Pau have been experiencing a outstanding campaign, guided by Argentine internationals Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and veteran playmaker 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
