Champions Cup roundup: La Rochelle beat Lions after emotional tribute to Andrews

Glasgow Warriors extended their unbeaten start to the new season by pulling away to claim an impressive 47-27 win at Sale in Pool 1. Glasgow’s winning score looked convincing, but they secured victory in the final 20 minutes after Rekeiti Ma’asi-White had temporarily reduced Sale’s deficit to four.

The hosts had made all the running in the early stages and were 12 points up inside the first 10 minutes thanks to tries from Ben Curry and Arron Reed. The visitors hit back through a penalty try and further efforts from Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie to carve out a 21-15 lead at the interval.

The game looked in the balance until late tries from Rory Darge, Ollie Smith and debutant Otavio Tuipulotu helped Glasgow pull away and wrap up a bonus-point win. Glasgow host Pau in their next Champions Cup encounter while Sale travel to Leinster for a tricky test in mid-December.

Also in Pool 1, Leinster produced a fine second-half display as the Irish side recorded a bonus-point 48-23 win against Clermont at the Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan both scored tries for Leinster in the opening period, but the visitors trailed 16-15 at the interval after a Joris Jurand try and 11 points from Harry Plummer’s boot. Sam Prendergast crossed for Leinster moments after the half-time break and they took full control when Clermont collapsed a scrum which handed the visitors a penalty try and led to Nohem Ez Zahouany being sent to the sin-bin.

Leinster quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority as Sheehan touched down for his second try of the afternoon. Mathys Belaubre crossed for Clermont’s second try of the day, Jack Conan quickly responded with a converted score that gave Leinster a 20-point advantage when the penalty expired.

Tommy O’Brien’s 76th-minute try then added gloss to the score as the Irish side wrapped up an impressive victory on French soil.

In Pool 3, the Stormers ran in seven tries in a 49-12 thumping of Bristol in their Champions Cup opener. The home side were on top from the start in Cape Town, with Seabelo Senatla scoring their first try in the seventh minute before Leolin Zas added a second eight minutes later.

Joe Owens broke away down the wing for a solo try for Bristol in the 22nd minute but Jonny Roche restored Stormers’ advantage before the half-hour mark. JJ Kotze was shown a 20-minute red card for head-to-head contact before the break, while a yellow card for Zas – resulting in a disallowed try – gave the Bears a significant numerical advantage that they took advantage of through a first try for the club from Sol Moody.

However, Roche then scored his second and the final 10 minutes was a horror show for Bristol as they conceded three more tries. First, Warrick Gelant crossed, then Andre-Hugo Venter got in on the act before Vas ended an eventful game with his second – with all seven tries converted by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Munster host Racing 92 in a late kick-off in the same pool.

In Pool 4, the Bulls beat Stade Français 21-6.