Cordero reacts first to give Bordeaux away success

A remarkable 74th minute try from Argentine wing Santiago Cordero gave Bordeaux-Begles a pivotal away success in the Heineken Champions Cup as they defeated Northampton Saints 16-12 at Franklin’s Gardens.

Cordero reacted quickest from a Matthieu Jalibert penalty kick that hit the post, deflecting back into play and bouncing into the path of the Bordeaux wing who crossed the whitewash for the match-winning try.

Up to that point, Northampton were edging the kicking battle and led 12-9 courtesy of a quartet of successful penalty kicks from Dan Biggar.

Kolbe inspires Toulouse to Ulster fightback

Toulouse battled back from 12-0 down to record a crucial away success in the Heineken Champions Cup, eventually seeing off Ulster Rugby in a 29-22 win at Kingspan Stadium.

A brace from Heineken Star of the Match Cheslin Kolbe proved pivotal as the visitors got off to the perfect start in Pool B.

Two tries from Rob Herring and one from Ian Madigan put Ulster in the box seat, before Kolbe crossed the whitewash twice alongside scores from Antoine Dupont and Rory Arnold.

Matsushima hat-trick helps Clermont defeat Challenge Cup holders

ASM Clermont Auvergne scored seven tries as they proved too strong for Challenge Cup holders Bristol Bears in a 51-38 win at Ashton Gate.

A hat-trick from Kotaro Matsushima helped the French side on their way to an important European away success, with a total of 12 tries scored in a thrilling clash in the West Country.

Clermont raced into a commanding lead, with a try from Matsushima, an intercept score from Apisai Naqalevu who sprinted clear from inside his own half, and a third from Damian Penaud who cut inside and scored near the posts.

Bristol would respond but could never get back within striking distance, although they would claim a try bonus point.

Scarlets strike late to defeat Bath

Scarlets won a breathtaking encounter against Bath Rugby 23-19 in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup at The Rec.

Gareth Davies – on his 200th appearance for the Welsh outfit – got the ball rolling for the visitors before a stunning second half score from Kieran Hardy earned Scarlets the victory.

Bath, who scored tries through Ruaridh McConnochie and Will Stuart, thought they’d won it in the final seconds when Ben Spencer – who earlier kicked nine points – touched down. Unfortunately for the scrum-half, he was a yard short of the try line.

Full Round 1 results:

Northampton Saints 12 Bordeaux-Begles 16

Ulster Rugby 22 Toulouse 29

Bristol Bears 38 ASM Clermont Auvergne 51

RC Toulon 26 Sale Sharks 14

Bath Rugby 19 Scarlets 23

Montpellier 14 Leinster Rugby 35

Dragons 8 Wasps 24

Edinburgh Rugby 8 La Rochelle 13

Lyon 55 Gloucester Rugby 10

Racing 92 26 Connacht Rugby 22

Exeter Chiefs 42 Glasgow Warriors 0

Munster Rugby 21 Harlequins 7

As we look back at yet another epic Heineken Champions Cup season, we will be reviewing each round of the competition, kicking off today with Round 1 featuring a whole host of successes for TOP 14 teams.