Munster recovered from last week’s loss to Bath to beat Gloucester 31-3 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, securing a bonus-point victory in the Champions Cup while playing at the GAA venue for the first time. A week after coach Clayton McMillan called their previous display borderline embarrassing, Munster produced a far stronger showing in blustery conditions. Centres and backs crossed the line as Dan Kelly, full-back Mike Haley and back-row Ruadhan Quinn scored, with replacement Tom Farrell and lock Tadhg Beirne adding tries from the bench. Fly-half Jack Crowley converted three times, while Gloucester managed only a solitary penalty from full-back George Barton.
Sale Sharks gave their campaign a lift with a 35-14 win over Clermont at Stade Marcel-Michelin. Rebounding from an opening-night defeat to Glasgow, Sale led 20-7 at the break thanks to tries from Tom O’Flaherty, Marius Louw and Arron Reed. Clermont responded early in the second half through Lucas Zamoa and pushed hard when the score reached 23-14, but Sale held firm. Joe Bedlow grounded a well-worked finish and Alex Wills sealed the result with a late 73rd-minute try.
In Durban, the Sharks edged Saracens 28-23 in wet conditions. Siya Kolisi, Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe and Grant Williams all crossed for the Sharks, while Saracens replied with tries from Theo Dan, Sam Spink and Tom Willis. Trailing by five late on, Saracens could not secure a decisive lineout when Andy Onyeama-Christie failed to gather James Hadfield’s throw. The result came amid off-field turmoil after Sharks head coach John Plumtree resigned earlier in the week.
Glasgow Warriors produced one of the round’s standout comebacks at Scotstoun, overturning a 21-0 deficit to defeat favourites Toulouse 28-21 in dreadful weather. Toulouse had looked comfortable after early tries from Antoine Dupont and Kalvin Gourgues, but four second-half tries from Josh McKay, Gregor Brown, Sione Tuipulotu and Gregor Hiddleston secured a memorable bonus-point victory for Glasgow.
Champions Cup holders Bordeaux-Bègles ran up a 50-21 win over Scarlets, scoring eight tries. Matthieu Jalibert crossed twice and was joined on the scoresheet by Jefferson Poirot, Gaëtan Barlot, Tiaan Jacobs, Pablo Uberti, Xan Mousques and Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Scarlets managed three tries — two from Fletcher Anderson and one from Henry Thomas — but were comprehensively beaten.
Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle were well beaten by the Stormers in South Africa, losing 42-21 as the visitors claimed six tries. Dylan Maart scored twice and was joined by Leolin Zas, André-Hugo Venter, Warrick Gelant and Marcel Theunissen, with fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu adding three conversions and two penalties. La Rochelle replied through Quentin Lespiaucq, replacement Nika Sutidze and full-back Nathan Bollengier but could not match the Stormers’ power.