Toulouse and Bordeaux Triumph in Champions Cup Openers

Toulouse began their Champions Cup defense with a dominant 61-21 victory over Ulster, scoring nine tries at Stade Ernest-Wallon. Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack were instrumental in the win, with both players scoring tries, along with braces from Emmanuel Meafou and Ange Capuozzo. Ulster managed three tries but fell short of securing a fourth for a bonus point, marking their heaviest European defeat in the professional era. Ulster's head coach Richie Murphy acknowledged the performance as disappointing and self-inflicted due to numerous first-half errors. Meanwhile, Bordeaux-Begles also emerged victorious in Pool 1, defeating Leicester 42-28 after a strong second-half performance. Bordeaux's Pete Samu and Louis Bielle-Barrey contributed significantly with multiple tries, securing a French double in the competition's opening round.