The key facts
- Pau beat Leicester 41:17, earning a bonus-point win thanks to five tries.
- English clubs keep losing in the opening round: after Gloucester's draw, the Sale, Saracens, Bath and Bristol sides suffered defeats.
- The tournament was marred by the death of 31-year-old South African lock Hylon Andrews, found unconscious before the Lions v La Rochelle match.
Pau convincingly beat Leicester
French side Pau, one of the leaders of the Top 14, beat English side Leicester 41:17 in a Champions Cup match on Sunday, 18 October. The hosts scored five tries: Rodrigo Marta crossed twice, while Yohan Beheregaray's teammates Jon Zabala, Aaron Grandidier Nkanan and Fabien Brau-Boire also scored, and fly-half Axel Desperal kicked 16 points.
Course of the match
Leicester opened the scoring thanks to a try by Ollie Chessum in the first ten minutes, and Archie van der Flier crossed in the second half, but the hosts kept the visitors at arm's length and ultimately secured a bonus-point win.
A poor start for the English clubs
After Gloucester's draw against the reigning two-time champions Bordeaux-Bègles in the opening match on Friday, the English clubs are only losing in the opening round: on Saturday, Sale, Saracens, Bath and Bristol all suffered defeats. On Sunday, the reigning Premiership champions Northampton try to restore England's honour as they host Cardiff, while Exeter play away against the French giants Toulouse.
The tournament marred by a player's death
The opening weekend of the Champions Cup was marred by the death of 31-year-old South African lock Hylon Andrews. According to local authorities, as reported by AFP, he was found in cardiac arrest in a shower cubicle on Friday, before his club the Lions' match against La Rochelle. In all matches of the tournament, players paid tribute to Andrews.
