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 France 7 veteran ended his career shortly after his long-time team won gold at Paris 2024, even though he was not part of the Olympic tournament. He reflects on what this moment was like for him.
100 minutes of action were needed at Ashton Gate before Bristol got the better of Bordeaux to reach next month's Challenge Cup final.
French prop Jefferson Poirot has decided to retire from international rugby at the age of just 27 - in a bizarre move announced in an interview with Le Equippe.