Overview
- Bath crushed Munster 40-14 after racing to a 28-0 lead inside 19 minutes, securing a bonus-point start at The Rec.
- Toulouse routed the Sharks 56-19, with Ange Capuozzo scoring a hat-trick and Thomas Ramos landing eight conversions.
- Defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles overhauled the Bulls 46-33 in Pretoria, keeping the hosts scoreless after halftime following costly yellow cards.
- Stormers won 26-17 at Bayonne despite a 20-minute red card to Adré Smith, and they were the only South African side to triumph on the opening weekend as Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs lost.
- Northampton edged Pau 35-27 on George Hendy’s late try after James Ramm’s red card, and South Africa’s Blitzboks capped the weekend by beating Argentina 21-19 to defend the Cape Town Sevens crown.