Kurtley Beale's outrageous Champions Cup stats and other factoids

The cream is rising to the top in Europe following two rounds of the Heineken Champions Cup which, despite cancellations, has seen some exception rugby played.

Leinster and Wasps lead the way in Pool A with 10-point maximums after two rounds while the TOP 14 trio of Lyon, Racing 92 and Toulouse are in pole position in Pool B all with 10 points.

Munster’s hard-earned 39-31 comeback victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne is the first time that an Irish club has won at Marcel-Michelin since Leinster in the 2002/03 season.

Why Nigel Owens is such a special ref:

Why Nigel Owens is such a special ref:

Following his hat-trick in the 47-8 win against the Dragons – the first by a Bordeaux-Bègles player in the Champions Cup – Santiago Cordero is the top try scorer after two rounds with four.

Simon Zebo scored his 32nd tournament try (Munster 23, Racing 9) in Racing 92’s comprehensive win at Harlequins and he is now just one behind Leinster’s Brian O’Driscoll in fourth place on the all-time list. Chris Ashton continues to lead the way with 40.

Mike Brown of Harlequins, Juan Imhoff of Racing 92 and Northampton Saints’ Alex Waller all made their 50th tournament appearance last weekend.

Munster’s JJ Hanrahan, who kicked 24 points in the win against Clermont, leads the points scoring charts with 30 after two rounds.

Edinburgh Rugby’s Stuart McInally is the leading tackler with 34 ahead of his teammate, Hamish Watson, in second place on 30 while Sale Sharks’ Sam Dugdale made the most tackles in Round 2 with 21.

Bordeaux-Bègles are the top offloaders after two rounds with 22.

John Cooney’s 17 points in Ulster Rugby’s narrow defeat at Gloucester took him over the 200 mark for the tournament. The scrum-half has now scored a total of 214 points in Europe’s top flight – 193 for Ulster and 21 for Connacht.

Edinburgh’s narrow 16-15 win against Sale Sharks meant that Duhan van der Merwe, who started on the wing for the Scots, got the better of his older brother, Akker, the Sale hooker.

Kurtley Beale of Racing 92 has made the most metres, carries and clean breaks with 246, 28 and 10 respectively.