Five Champions Cup learnings from round one

Jordie Barrett's European debut, 83 tries and Storm Darragh each made for a thrilling commencement to the 2024-25 Investec Champions Cup.

European rugby's large hitters, alongside 3 South African sides, each kickstarted their campaigns - truthful what are the cardinal talking points?

BBC Sport takes a look astatine 5 things we learned from the opening circular of matches.

United Rugby Championship winners Glasgow are Scottish rugby's sole representatives successful this year's Champions Cup, but they are tipped by galore to spell heavy into the competition.

The Scottish broadside wrapped up their try-scoring bonus constituent wrong 23 minutes connected their mode to a 38-18 triumph implicit Premiership nine Sale Sharks.

Scrum-half George Horne scored 21 points, including a hat-trick of first-half tries, portion Kyle Rowe, Huw Jones and Scott Cummings besides crossed for the hosts successful a ascendant display.

Horne's 2nd effort was peculiarly awesome arsenic helium chased down his ain clever grubber footwear for a good solo finish.

Glasgow question to three-time winners Toulon successful their adjacent crippled connected Sunday and triumph volition acceptable the visitors connected people for the circular of 16.

Saracens' 3 titles marque them the astir palmy English broadside successful the past of this competition.

Some of Sarries' stars from the aureate epoch person moved connected to pastures new, but galore of the halfway inactive remain.

England skipper Jamie George was 1 of 4 Saracens try-scorers arsenic the hosts came from down to assertion a 27-5 bonus-point triumph implicit South African broadside Bulls astatine StoneX Stadium.

Northampton Saints besides opened up with a 38-8 bonus-point triumph implicit Castres contempt the hard conditions caused by Storm Darragh.

That was arsenic bully arsenic it got for the Premiership sides, though, arsenic Bath, Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers and Bristol Bears each mislaid their opening matches.

Northampton's teenage flanker Henry Pollock proves helium is simply a antheral for the contiguous and the future, contempt his age.

The 19-year-old - a cardinal portion of England's satellite championship-winning squad - produced a tireless performance, clearing retired breakdowns and tackling thing wearing the achromatic of Castres.

His solo effort precocious successful the game, spinning and charging done defenders was besides a "fantastic finish", according to England women's scrum-half Natasha Hunt.

"I conscionable emotion the intent connected his look arsenic helium is carrying the ball," Hunt told Premier Sports.

"You tin spot helium genuinely believes cipher is stopping him. The bounce, the rotation retired of contact, the consciousness of wherever the effort enactment is and past the audacity to get the shot down aft bouncing 4 people."

Storm Darragh made its people connected the British Isles during the opening play arsenic matches staged successful England and Ireland had to contend with the elements.

La Rochelle full-back Brice Dulin spilled a regular footwear successful the archetypal infinitesimal of Friday's opener nether torrential rainfall astatine Bath, portion a elemental conversion effort by Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke was blown disconnected people by the wind.

Later successful the aforesaid game, Sarries' Elliot Daly besides fell foul of the stormy conditions erstwhile helium attempted to footwear for touch, lone to spot the shot blown backwards and decorativeness down him.

Northampton made a blistering commencement against Castres earlier they had to accommodate their benignant of onslaught arsenic the tempest strengthened its grip connected the eastbound Midlands.

There was nary hint of the tempest thousands of miles distant successful the Durban sunshine, meanwhile, with past year's Challenge Cup winners Sharks dominating Exeter Chiefs arsenic South Africa skipper Siya Kolisi scored 2 of their 5 tries.

Six-time winners Toulouse scored 9 tries arsenic they began the defence of their rubric with a thumping 61-21 bonus-point triumph implicit Ulster.

Skipper Antoine Dupont was astatine his influential best, sniping done gaps, making assists by footwear and with shot successful hand, portion besides crossing the whitewash himself.

Bordeaux Begles trailed Leicester astatine fractional clip earlier ruthlessly exposing the English broadside with a flurry of tries, including a brace for Louis Bielle-Biarrey, aft the break.

Leinster besides needed an improved show successful the 2nd fractional to flooded Premiership high-fliers Bristol arsenic debutant Barrett came disconnected the seat alongside South Africa fastener RG Snyman and Ireland fig 8 Caelan Doris.

Barrett created a effort for Sam Prendergast wrong minutes earlier turning from supplier to finisher aft a clever dummy. The stalwart All Black could beryllium the sprinkling of stardust to assistance Leinster flooded the disappointment of decision successful the past 3 finals.