It was the French who caught the eye in round one with six of their eight teams winning, including Stade Rochelais and Toulon away from home.
The 30-year-old, who is out of contract at the Gallagher Premiership outfit at the end of this season, suffered a serious knee injury last January versus La Rochelle in an Investec Champions Cup pool match in Manchester.
In just a few days another season of the Top 14 kicks off with the likes of Owen Farrell, Siya Kolisi, Josua Tuisova, and Davit Niniashvili making the numbers of the overseas players ready to make the headlines and wrestle for the title.
Ulster bounced back from defeat with a 31-15 victory over French Top 14 leaders Racing 92 at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
The tyro's electric Racing 92 debut only underlined his vast international potential.
Ex-England boss Stuart Lancaster has pulled off a coup, convincing rising star Henry Arundell to join him in his new project at Racing 92.
The final piece in the RugbyPass Future of Rugby series takes a look at the Springboks, the reigning World Cup champions, and what U23s are currently at their disposal.
Budgets, players to watch, arrivals and departures - and an overview of each club at the start of the new season. Welcome to the Rugby Pass club-by-club Top 14 season preview