Now that the opening salvo of the latest Champions Cup concluded, we delve into the primary lessons stemming from the weekend's action.
Gallic supremacy has defined the competition in recent seasons, with the previous five victors all calling home France's elite division. Yet, the first weekend showcased multiple statement victories from new rivals.
Bordeaux Appear Primed to Defend Their Title
Reigning title-holders Bordeaux Begles were a class apart in this tournament the previous campaign, dominating Toulouse in the semi-final and subsequently Northampton in the grand finale.
Lying sixth in the French league, some have suggested about their chances of defending the feat this season. Yet, in the first round, Bordeaux sent a message that they are more than capable of winning back-to-back titles with a points-laden win on the road in South Africa.
Handed a challenging fixture at Loftus Versfeld against a powerful Bulls side including talents like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they went into the break down 33-22 at the break.
But, true to their champion status, they showed their quality in the second half, storming back to seal a 46-33 victory – keeping the Bulls to zero after the interval.
Les Bleus stars machines Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey each crossed the try-line. Any outfit with such firepower on the edges stands a good chance against any opponent.
Impressive Bath Seem Poised of Challenging for the Title
Bath's sole success in the Champions Cup came almost 30 years ago. Throughout the ensuing period, they have probably never been better equipped to add a second star.
The current English champions are leading the way domestically after six games and will be looking to carry that momentum into Europe – particularly following a unexpected elimination the previous season.
Johann van Graan's side looked a extremely well-rounded and polished team in their 40-14 victory against Munster, who are third in the URC.
They marry attacking verve – earning the bonus point in under 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, keeping their guests at arm's length when they attempted a dramatic comeback.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Ben Spencer in the half-backs and quality reserves all over the squad, they have to be considered genuine challengers for a continental title since 1998.
Bath's pivotal moment in the group stage the previous year occurred in the next fixture, an agonising 22-21 defeat at Benetton with a squad players.
Now with a Premiership title under their belt and setting the pace in England once more, Van Graan may feel able to concentrate more effort on the Champions Cup now.
Glasgow Hand Sale a Major Blow
The tournament contains quality outfits in every pool, but the first group appears poised to be one of the most competitive.
In the tournament's current format, a lot is said about securing home wins, which is why Glasgow's away victory at Sale on Friday evening might just be pivotal.
The Glasgow Warriors were 14-0 down after 20 minutes but fought back impressively, and two tries early in the second period gave them a valuable maximum haul.
By achieving this, they gave their hopes of advancing a positive start and, by contrast, handed a hefty blow to Sale.
With the French giants – dominant 56-19 winners against the Sharks – and Saracens, who easily overcame Clermont, sharing the group, we are likely to see many thrilling contests.
And regarding Glasgow's Scottish counterparts Edinburgh? They turned in one of their best European performances in a long time to stun former champions Toulon 33-20, on a excellent weekend for the Scottish game.
Could Ioane the Final Piece of the Leinster Puzzle?
Should you pick one side you would expect to be challenging at the sharp end of the Champions Cup, it would be multiple champions Leinster.
However in the last few years it has ended in disappointment, as they have promised much but fallen short. Beaten finalists three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked heavy favourites a year ago after building on a 62-0 rout of Harlequins in the last 16 with a 52-0 demolition over Glasgow in the last eight.
It was believed that Kiwi international Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to take them over the line, but they were surprised and suffered a shock loss to Northampton Saints in the semi-final.
This year they are trying the All Black experiment again, this time with Rieko Ioane, who provided a try assist on his debut in Saturday's 45-28 win over Harlequins.
Could Ioane be the player to bring the trophy back to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Look Prepared to Challenge
From the moment the SA franchises joined the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the best performance by any of them is the last eight, and in the last campaign not a single one succeeded in getting out of the pool phase, with often weakened teams fielded.
Could this be the season that turns around? The Stormers are leading the URC and began their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 triumph in France at Bayonne on Friday.
The words from players and coaches were encouraging too, with individuals involved talking about their ambition, and the players such as South African internationals Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse not involved for the round-one win.
The Stormers look the strongest candidate for a South African side to have a long run in the tournament, although write off the Sharks and Bulls, who each suffered defeat in their first games but did face formidable opponents respectively.
Northampton and Pau Produce a Classic Encounter
There were several candidates for best fixture, and the Northampton vs. Pau game was right up there.
Pau have been enjoying a brilliant campaign, guided by Pumas Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and veteran playmaker 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
