With the first round of the latest Champions Cup wrapped up, we explore the primary lessons highlighted by the weekend's action.
Top 14 superiority has defined the competition in recent years, with the past five winners all representing France's top flight. However, the opening round included multiple impressive wins from potential contenders.
Bordeaux Seem Ready to Go Back-to-Back
Current holders Bordeaux Begles were a class apart in this tournament last season, overpowering Toulouse in the semi-final and subsequently Northampton in the grand finale.
Currently sitting sixth in the Top 14, some have suggested about their ability to repeat the title this year. However, in their opener, Bordeaux served notice that they are well-positioned of winning consecutive championships with a high-scoring triumph on foreign soil in South Africa.
Handed a difficult tie at a hostile venue against a formidable Bulls side featuring internationals like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they found themselves trailing 33-22 at the break.
But, as champions do, they unleashed their power in the second half, fighting back to secure a 46-33 victory – holding the Bulls to zero after the interval.
French try-scoring phenoms Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey both got on the scoresheet. Any outfit with those two on the flanks stands a good chance against whoever they face.
Formidable Bath Appear Equipped of Going the Distance
Bath's lone victory in this competition came almost three decades ago. Since that time, they have probably never been more strongly positioned to win it again.
The current English champions are leading the way domestically after six games and will be aiming to translate that form into Europe – especially after a shocking early departure last year.
Johann van Graan's team looked a highly composed and balanced unit in their 40-14 defeat of Munster, who are among the leaders in the United Rugby Championship.
They marry creative spark – earning the extra point within 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, holding their opponents at bay when they attempted a fightback.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Ben Spencer directing play and a deep squad throughout the squad, they have to be considered genuine challengers for a maiden Champions Cup since 1998.
Bath's key result in the pools last season occurred in the following week, an narrow 22-21 setback at Benetton with a squad players.
After winning a league trophy under their belt and setting the pace domestically again, Van Graan may feel able to place greater emphasis on the Champions Cup this year.
Glasgow Give Sale a Significant Setback
There are strong teams in every pool, but Pool One appears poised to be one of the most competitive.
In the tournament's current format, 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 Glasgow Warriors were 14-0 down after 20 minutes but came back strongly, and two tries at the start of the second half gave them a valuable maximum haul.
In doing so, they provided their chances of progressing a positive start and, conversely, inflicted a damaging defeat to their opponents.
With Toulouse – 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 what of Glasgow's Scottish counterparts Edinburgh? They produced one of their top continental showings in recent memory to shock three-time winners Toulon 33-20, on a excellent weekend for Scottish rugby.
Will Ioane Be the Key Addition of the Leinster Puzzle?
If there's one team you would predict to be challenging at the later stages of the Champions Cup, it would be four-time winners Leinster.
But in recent campaigns it has ended in disappointment, as they have been favourites but delivered little. Finalists three years in a row between 2022-24, they looked heavy favourites the previous campaign after backing up a 62-0 mauling of Harlequins in the round of 16 with a 52-0 destruction over Glasgow in the quarter-final.
It was hoped that New Zealand full-back Jordie Barrett would be the key player to take them over the line, but they were caught out and endured a shock loss to Northampton Saints in the last four.
This season they are testing another New Zealand import, this time with Rieko Ioane, who claimed a scoring pass on his first appearance in Saturday's 45-28 win over Harlequins.
Will Ioane prove to secure European glory to Ireland for the first occasion since 2018?
Stormers Seem Ready to Step Up
Since the South African sides became part of the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the best performance by any of them is the quarter-finals, and in the last campaign not a single one managed to make it out of the group stage, with plenty of rotated sides selected.
Is this the year that is different? The Stormers are leading the URC and began their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 away win at Bayonne on Friday.
The reactions after the game were encouraging too, with individuals involved speaking of their aspirations, and the likes of Springboks Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Damian Willemse absent for the first match.
The Stormers appear the best bet for a South African side to have a long run in the event, although don't count out the Sharks and Bulls, who were defeated in their first games but did meet the French powerhouses respectively.
Saints and Pau Deliver a Thrilling Contest
There were multiple possibilities for game of the weekend, and the Northampton vs. Pau game was among the best.
Pau have been having a outstanding campaign, spearheaded by Pumas Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and former Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson.
They are presently in second place in the Top 14 and the crowd was raucous at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
