The second weekend of the 2025/26 Champions Cup in the pool saw Munster beat Gloucester, Sale Sharks beat Clermont-Auvergne, Bordeaux Beagle beat Scarlets, Stormers beat La Rochelle, Sharks beat Saracens
Last updated: 13/12/25 20:03
Mike Haley was among the try scorers as Munster recorded a much-needed bonus point in their Champions Cup win
Munster bounced back from a disappointing defeat to Bath last week to comprehensively beat Gloucester 31-3 in the Champions Cup at Parc Ui Chaoim in Cork.
A week after a display by Rec Munster head coach Clayton McMillan that was branded a “borderline disgrace” during the week, the hosts eventually secured victory with a much-needed bonus point.
Playing a Champions Cup match at home to Cork GAA for the first time, Munster scored five tries through center Dan Kelly, full back Mike Haley, back row Ruadhan Quinn, substitute Tom Farrell and lock Tadhg Beirne.
Fly-half Jack Crowley added three conversions in the win, played amid strong winds that battered both teams.
Indeed, Gloucester could only muster three points in the entire contest through full-back George Barton.
Selling out after stunning success at Clermont
Sale finished strongly to start their Champions Cup campaign with a 35-14 win over Clermont at the Stade Marseille-Michelin.
Reacting to their defeat at home to Glasgow on the opening night of the competition, the Sharks raced into a 20-7 half-time lead with tries from Tom O’Flaherty, Marius Lue and Aaron Reid.
They were then forced to weather the storm in Clermont when Lucas Zamoa crossed in the 47th minute and with the score 23-14 down the European heavyweights pressed for another score.
However, lively Sale showed their hunger by scoring a try through Joe Bedlow and when Alec Wills crossed in the 73rd minute it was all over.
Saracens on the edge of the South African sharks
In South Africa, Saracens suffered a potentially damaging 28-23 defeat to the Sharks in Durban, missing a last-ditch chance to grab a bonus point.
Siya Kolisi, Afele Fassi, Edwil van der Merwe and Grant Williams scored tries for the Sharks – whose head coach John Plumtree resigned this week – in an entertaining contest that saw Saracens score three through Theo Dunn, Sam Spink and Tom Willis.
Down by five points in wet conditions, Saracens had another five-metre line but Andy Onyeama-Christie failed to clear James Hadfield’s throw with the clock in red.
Holders Bordeaux-Begles thrash Scarlets
Champions Cup holders Bordeaux-Begles handed the Scarlets a heavy defeat, winning 50-21 at home.
Mathieu Jaliber scored twice, while Jefferson Poirot, Gattan Barlot, Tjan Jacobs, Pablo Uberti, Xan Mousquez and Louis Biel-Billard also chipped in for the tries as the hosts scored eight.
The Scarlets scored three tries themselves through Fletcher Anderson (two) and Henry Thomas, but were completely outplayed.
La Rochelle rocked the Stormers
Ronan O’Gare’s La Rochelle were shocked in South Africa as the Stormers blew them away with a 42-21 win.
The free-flowing Stormers scored six tries in the win through wings Dylan Mart (two) and Leolin Sass, flanker Andre-Hugo Venter, fullback Warrick Gelant and Marcel Theunissen from the backline.
Stormers fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added three conversions and two penalties in the success.
For La Rochelle, winger Quentin Lespiauck, substitute Nika Sutidza and fullback Nathan Bollengier scored the tries in the loss.
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