Clinton Swart and Ernst van Rhyn were among the standout performers in the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup.
Swart, the Pumas flyhalf on loan at the Stormers, made a dream debut in the tournament by scoring 16 points –four penalties and two conversions – to steer the Cape side to a hard-fought 26-17 victory over Bayonne at the Stade Jean Dauger. His haul made him the top point-scorer across all 12 fixtures.
Van Rhyn, the Sale Sharks flank, produced a monster defensive effort in his team’s 26-21 loss to the Glasgow Warriors in Manchester. The former Stormers lock racked up an astonishing 31 tackles, the most by any player on the opening weekend.
Round 1 offered no shortage of drama elsewhere. Toulouse laid down a marker with an eight-try demolition of the Sharks, while the Bulls were edged at home by defending champions Bordeaux, who overturned a 10-point halftime deficit to claim a historic victory in Pretoria.
Stormers aside, South African sides endured a tough weekend, with the Sharks and Vodacom Bulls both defeated.
STATE OF EURO CUPS: Stormers fly SA flag
Top performers (Round 1)
Points: Clinton Swart (Stormers) – 16
Carries: Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle) – 20
Metres: Josh McKay (Glasgow) – 121
Defenders beaten: Jordan Larmour (Leinster) – 7
Offloads: Gavin Coombes (Munster) – 5
Tackles: Ernst van Rhyn (Sale) – 31
AFRICA PICKS: Investec Champions Cup Round 1 review & betting outlook
Key stats (Round 1)
– Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse) was the only player who scored three tries in round one. He also made a round-high five clean breaks.
Ange était en mode fusée hier
Revivez les temps forts d’une victoire toulousaine éclatante
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— Investec Champions Cup France (@ChampionsCup_FR) December 8, 2025
– Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle) made the joint-most carries at the weekend (20), beat four defenders, and scored a try.
– Jordan Larmour (Leinster) beat the joint-most defenders (seven) at the weekend, made four clean breaks, and the second-most metres (119).
– Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux Bègles) assisted two tries, scored another, and beat the joint-most defenders (seven) in round one.
– Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints) made the joint-most dominant tackles (three) and won a turnover at the weekend.
Photo: Dave Winter/INPHO
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