Following the initial matches of the new season's Champions Cup concluded, we explore the major talking points stemming from the games.
Gallic supremacy has been the narrative in recent seasons, with the past five winners all calling home France's top flight. However, the opening round showcased multiple convincing performances from potential rivals.
Bordeaux Look Set to Go Back-to-Back
Current holders Bordeaux Begles were utterly dominant in this tournament last season, dominating Toulouse in the last four and subsequently Northampton in the showpiece.
Lying sixth in the domestic standings, doubts have been raised about their capacity to retain the accomplishment this year. Yet, in round one, Bordeaux served notice that they are well-positioned of winning consecutive championships with a free-flowing away victory in South Africa.
Given a difficult tie at Loftus Versfeld against a strong Bulls side featuring talents like Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard, and Canan Moodie, they found themselves trailing 33-22 at the break.
However, as champions do, they displayed their class in the final 40 minutes, fighting back to seal a 46-33 victory – holding the Bulls to zero after the halftime.
France international aces Damian Penaud and World Player of the Year nominee Louis Bielle-Biarrey each crossed the try-line. Any team with those two on the flanks has a chance against any competition.
Formidable Bath Appear Equipped of Going the Distance
Bath's only triumph in Europe was almost three decades ago. Throughout the ensuing period, they have probably never been more prepared to add a second star.
The defending English Premiership champions are setting the pace in the league after six games and will be aiming to translate that form into the Champions Cup – especially after a unexpected elimination the previous season.
Johann van Graan's side looked a extremely well-rounded and polished team in their 40-14 win over Munster, who are among the leaders in the Celtic league.
They blend creative spark – sealing the try-scoring point in under 20 minutes at the Rec – with defensive steel, restraining their opponents at bay when they attempted a late rally.
With the likes of Finn Russell and Ben Spencer pulling the strings and a deep squad all over the team, they are surely serious contenders for a first European trophy since 1998.
Bath's pivotal moment in the group stage last season came in the second round, an heartbreaking 22-21 setback at Benetton with a rotated team.
Now with a Premiership title to their name and top domestically again, Van Graan may feel able to put a heightened focus on the Champions Cup this year.
Glasgow Deal Sale a Major Blow
The tournament contains powerful sides everywhere you look, but Pool One appears poised to be one of the most competitive.
In the existing pool system, a lot is made about winning your home games, which is why Glasgow's win on the road at Sale on the first day might just turn out to be vital.
The team from Scotland were trailing by 14 points after 20 minutes but fought back impressively, and two tries at the start of the second period gave them a all-important bonus-point win.
By achieving this, they provided their chances of progressing a positive start and, by contrast, handed a damaging defeat to their opponents.
With the French giants – commanding 56-19 victors over the Sharks – and Saracens, who brushed aside Clermont, also in the pool, we are likely to see plenty of fireworks.
And what of Glasgow's old rivals Edinburgh? They produced one of their top continental showings in a long time to shock heavyweights Toulon 33-20, on a excellent weekend for the Scottish game.
Is Ioane the Final Piece of the Leinster Jigsaw?
If there's one team you would expect to be in the mix at the later stages of the continental campaign, it would be four-time winners Leinster.
Yet in recent campaigns it has ended in disappointment, as they have promised much but not won the trophy. Runners-up 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 round of 16 with a 52-0 win over Glasgow in the quarter-final.
It was hoped that Kiwi international Jordie Barrett would be the missing ingredient to win the championship, but they were ambushed and experienced a shock loss to Northampton Saints in the semi.
Now they are bringing in another Kiwi, this time with Rieko Ioane, who claimed a try assist on his first appearance in Saturday's 45-28 win over Harlequins.
Is Ioane the man to secure European glory to Ireland for the first time since 2018?
Stormers Seem Prepared to Challenge
Since the South African sides joined the Champions Cup in 2022-23, the best performance by any of them is the last eight, and last year none of them succeeded in getting out of the group stage, with plenty of rotated sides selected.
Could this be the season that changes? The Stormers are first in the URC and began their Champions Cup adventure with a 26-17 victory on the road at Bayonne on Friday.
The reactions after the game were encouraging too, with the squad and staff expressing their ambition, and the caliber of stars 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 go deep into the tournament, yet write off the Sharks and Bulls, who both lost in the opening round but did play formidable opponents respectively.
The English and French Sides Produce a Classic Encounter
There were multiple possibilities for match of the round, and the Northampton vs. Pau game was a leading candidate.
Pau have been having a brilliant campaign, guided by Pumas Julian Montoya and Facundo Isa and veteran playmaker Dan Robson.
They are currently second in the French league and the stadium was buzzing at the Stade du Hameau|their home ground|Pau's
