The knockout stages of the 2026 Investec Champions Cup delivered a weekend of pulsating rugby across Europe, with seven of the eight home sides advancing to the quarter-finals. Sale Sharks were the exception, producing a clinical away performance to knock out Harlequins at the Stoop. From the dramatic one-point finish at Stade Mayol to the attacking fireworks in Toulouse and Dublin, the Round of 16 provided a taste of the intensity awaiting in the final stages of Europe’s premier club competition.
Northampton Saints 49-41 Castres Olympique
The round began on Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens with a 13-try thriller that tested Northampton’s nerve far more than their two dominant victories over Castres last season had suggested. Phil Dowson’s side eventually prevailed but were made to work hard against a physical French outfit who collected three yellow cards yet refused to yield.
Castres struck early when Christian Ambadiang chased down a perfectly weighted kick from Jeremy Fernandez to touch down in the corner. The winger’s night would prove eventful for the wrong reasons when he was shown yellow for a high tackle on Archie McParland as the scrum-half looked certain to score, resulting in a penalty try. Three minutes later, lock Guillaume Ducat was also sent to the sin bin after launching himself into Henry Pollock at a ruck, leaving Castres down to 13 men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the visitors extended their lead through a Fernandez penalty before Danilo Fischetti powered over from close range to narrow the gap. Castres held a 15-14 advantage at the break and continued to threaten after the restart, with Tyler Ardron intercepting a McParland pass to score. The pendulum swung repeatedly as Josh Kemeny, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and McParland crossed for Saints, while Vuate Karawalevu and Vilimoni Botitu responded for Castres.
Fraser Dingwall’s try after Veresa Ramototabua received a third yellow card for the visitors finally put some daylight between the sides, and although Ambadiang completed the scoring with his second try, Saints had done enough to set up an all-English quarter-final against Bath.
Saints tries: Fischetti, Kemeny, Freeman, Furbank, McParland, Dingwall, penalty try. Cons: Belleau 6. Castres tries: Ambadiang 2, Chabouni, Ardron, Karawalevu, Botitu. Cons: Fernandez, Herve 3. Pen: Fernandez.
Bath Rugby 31-22 Saracens
The Recreation Ground witnessed a tale of two halves as Bath overturned a 10-0 half-time deficit to overcome Saracens in front of 14,509 supporters. Johann van Graan had selected a powerful XV featuring seven internationals in the pack, but his side struggled to find their rhythm during a frustrating opening 40 minutes.
Charlie Bracken gave Saracens the perfect start, breaking blind and dummying his way over the try-line before Owen Farrell added a penalty to extend the visitors’ advantage. Bath’s frustration was compounded when they were held up over the Saracens line, and they went into the break with work to do.
The second half was a different story entirely. Henry Arundell burst through for a solo score shortly after the restart, benefiting from a superb line to race clear. Joe Cokanasiga sliced through the middle six minutes later before Ben Spencer finished off an audacious counter-attack that began on Bath’s own try-line, a score that seemed to break Saracens’ resistance.
Max Malins kept the visitors in the contest after some slick hands created space out wide, but Ollie Lawrence extended the gap with a powerful score. Noah Caluori crossed for Saracens in the closing stages but it was merely a consolation as Arundell completed a fine afternoon’s work with his second try in the 80th minute. Bath will host Northampton in what promises to be another absorbing contest between two of England’s form sides.
Bath tries: Arundell 2, Cokanasiga, Spencer, Lawrence. Cons: Russell 3. Saracens tries: Bracken, Malins, Caluori. Cons: Farrell 2. Pen: Farrell.
RC Toulon 28-27 DHL Stormers
The most dramatic finish of the weekend came at Stade Mayol, where Toulon held on for a nerve-shredding one-point victory after a late TMO decision denied the Stormers what would have been a famous away win.
The three-time European champions made their intentions clear from the outset, pinning the Stormers deep in their own 22 for the opening minutes. After being held up over the line, Toulon eventually broke through when Ben White linked with Gaël Dréan before running in under the posts for the opening score.
Jurie Matthee responded with a penalty for the Stormers before lock Adré Smith slipped two tackles to level the scores. The lead changed hands again when Dréan cut inside Cobus Reinach to score Toulon’s second, his pace and footwork proving too much for the South African defence. Matthee’s second penalty narrowed the gap to 14-13 at the break.
The introduction of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sparked the Stormers into life. His chip over the defence created the opportunity for Evan Roos to crash over and hand the visitors a 20-14 lead. Toulon responded through Mathis Ferté before Setariki Tuicuvu jinked his way through to extend the home side’s advantage to 28-20.
The final minutes provided pure theatre. Ma’a Nonu was shown yellow for a high hit on Wandisile Simelane, and with Toulon already a man down, the Stormers pressed for the winning score. Imad Khan crossed to reduce the deficit to a single point, and with time up, Smith appeared to have won it for the visitors. The ball was grounded in a mass of bodies, but referee Christophe Ridley and his TMO team could find no conclusive evidence of the grounding. Toulon survived and will travel to Glasgow for the quarter-finals.
Toulon tries: White, Dréan, Ferté, Tuicuvu. Cons: Domon, Albornoz 3. Stormers tries: Smith, Roos, Khan. Cons: Matthee, Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2. Pens: Matthee 2.
Glasgow Warriors 25-21 Vodacom Bulls
Glasgow secured their first-ever home quarter-final with a hard-fought victory over the Bulls at a sold-out Scotstoun, where wet and windy conditions made life difficult for both sides throughout the evening.
Kyle Steyn returned from injury to captain the Warriors, with Franco Smith also welcoming back Zander Fagerson, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey into the starting XV. The returning Scotland internationals made an immediate impact, bringing the physicality required to match the Bulls’ powerful pack.
Handré Pollard opened the scoring with a penalty, but Glasgow responded through Max Williamson, who barged his way over in the 18th minute. Johann Grobbelaar ended a spell of Bulls pressure by touching down in the corner, and another Pollard penalty extended the visitors’ advantage.
Jack Dempsey powered over to level matters before Pollard struck again from inside his own half to give the Bulls a 14-12 lead at the break. The second half saw Glasgow’s forwards gradually take control. Patrick Schickerling crashed over in the corner before Player of the Match Stafford McDowall added the Warriors’ fourth try.
Marco van Staden pulled the Bulls back to within four points, setting up a tense finish, but Adam Hastings’ late penalty provided the breathing room Glasgow needed to see out the victory. They now face Toulon, who arrive at Scotstoun having barely survived their own knockout encounter.
Glasgow tries: Williamson, Dempsey, Schickerling, McDowall. Con: Lancaster. Pen: Hastings. Bulls tries: Grobbelaar, Van Staden. Con: Pollard. Pens: Pollard 3.
Stade Toulousain 59-26 Bristol Bears
The six-time champions sent an emphatic message to their rivals with a devastating nine-try performance at the Stadium de Toulouse that left Bristol with no answer to their hosts’ relentless attacking brilliance.
Bristol actually scored first through captain Fitz Harding, who finished off a flowing attack with a close-range effort to raise hopes of an upset. Those hopes were quickly and emphatically extinguished as Toulouse ran in five tries before the break through Jack Willis, Peato Mauvaka (twice) and Kalvin Gourgues (twice), with Matthis Lebel also crossing to make it 40-7 at half-time.
The pattern continued after the restart as Lebel added his second within a minute of the resumption. Teddy Thomas then completed a double of his own as the scoreboard continued to tick over. Antoine Dupont provided four assists throughout the afternoon, his distribution and vision creating space for his teammates time and again.
Romain Ntamack was shown yellow for a shoulder to the head on Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who left the field with a facial injury, but even with 14 men, Toulouse continued to dominate. To their credit, Bristol rallied late on with tries from Kalaveti Ravouvou, James Williams and Noah Heward to ensure they drew the second half 19-19, but by then the contest was long settled.
Gourgues collected the Player of the Match award after a performance that showcased his pace and timing, while Thomas Ramos landed seven of his nine conversion attempts. Toulouse will face defending champions Bordeaux in a mouthwatering all-French quarter-final.
Toulouse tries: Willis, Mauvaka 2, Gourgues 2, Lebel 2, Thomas 2. Cons: Ramos 7. Bristol tries: Harding, Ravouvou, Williams, Heward. Cons: Williams 3.
Harlequins 17-26 Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks produced the only away victory of the round as George Ford reminded everyone of his class with a 16-point haul in a clinical performance at the Stoop.
The experienced England fly-half missed his first kick of the evening when he struck the near upright from close range, but that would prove to be his only blemish in an otherwise commanding display. Ford slotted three penalties in the opening half as Sale built a platform of control against hosts who managed just 29% possession playing into the wind.
Luke Cowan-Dickie provided the finishing touch after a powerful driving maul, rumbling over at the back as Harlequins were reduced to 14 men following Will Evans’ sin-binning. Ford’s conversion gave Sale a 16-0 lead at the break.
The Sharks extended their advantage through another Ford penalty before Chandler Cunningham-South sparked a Harlequins response with a powerful score on 48 minutes. The impact substitute finished with four defenders beaten, two clean breaks and 44 metres gained, his emergence prompting questions about why he had been on the bench.
Cowan-Dickie completed his brace after sustained pressure near the Quins line, and although Alex Dombrandt scored twice in the final quarter, Sale’s advantage proved insurmountable. Ford’s game management and goal-kicking had laid the foundation for a result that sets up a daunting trip to the Aviva Stadium to face Leinster.
Sale tries: Cowan-Dickie 2. Cons: Ford 2. Pens: Ford 4. Harlequins tries: Cunningham-South, Dombrandt 2. Con: Smith.
Leinster Rugby 49-31 Edinburgh Rugby
The Aviva Stadium witnessed one of the most chaotic matches in recent Champions Cup memory as Leinster eventually prevailed despite conceding five tries to opponents who sit 13th in the URC.
Leo Cullen’s side flew out of the blocks, Tommy O’Brien crossing within 70 seconds after Jimmy O’Brien had sparked the attack with a piercing break. The winger added his second just eight minutes in, collecting a superb long pass from Rieko Ioane before diving over in the corner. Harry Byrne landed both touchline conversions as Leinster appeared set for a comfortable afternoon.
Then came the errors. Charlie Shiel pounced on a loose Tadhg Furlong pass intended for Jamie Osborne to race away unchallenged for Edinburgh’s first try. Four minutes later, Ross Thompson evaded Jamison Gibson-Park and rounded Hugo Keenan to score a stunning individual effort.
Jimmy O’Brien and Keenan crossed to restore Leinster’s advantage, but Thompson intercepted a pass intended for Gibson-Park to complete his double. Matt Currie then picked off another stray pass from the hosts, and suddenly Edinburgh trailed by just two points at the break despite playing precious little rugby.
The madness continued when Darcy Graham chipped over the defence and beat Gibson-Park to the bouncing ball to give Edinburgh the lead for the first time with 51 minutes played. The Aviva Stadium fell silent as the impossible seemed possible.
Leinster finally woke up. Josh van der Flier crashed over from close range after Dan Sheehan’s tap and go penalty, Tom Clarkson added another, and Ioane sprinted clear after moving to the wing to put the result beyond doubt. Byrne finished with a perfect seven from seven off the tee, but Cullen will have plenty to address before Sale arrive at the weekend.
Leinster tries: T O’Brien 2, J O’Brien, Keenan, Van der Flier, Clarkson, Ioane. Cons: Byrne 7. Edinburgh tries: Shiel, Thompson 2, Currie, Graham. Cons: Thompson 3.
Union Bordeaux-Bègles 64-14 Leicester Tigers
The defending champions saved the most emphatic statement for last, dismantling Leicester with a ten-try performance that showcased exactly why they lifted the trophy in 2025.
Matthieu Jalibert was utterly magnificent in every facet of his game, carrying a match-leading 21 times, making six line breaks and beating six players. Louis Bielle-Biarrey continued his remarkable try-scoring form, while Salesi Rayasi completed a hat-trick as the back three tormented Leicester’s defence throughout.
Bordeaux were patient in the early stages, Maxime Lucu slotting a sixth-minute penalty before Cameron Woki crashed over from close range. Then the floodgates opened. Rayasi finished off Jalibert’s grubber kick before Lucu himself crossed. Bielle-Biarrey, the leading try-scorer in the competition, added his name to the scoresheet before hooker Maxime Lamothe touched down to make it 36-0 at the break.
Leicester showed spirit after the interval, Izaia Perese intercepting a loose pass to sprint clear and Billy Searle walking in untouched after James O’Connor had shifted into the centres. But Bordeaux were relentless, Ben Tameifuna brushing off multiple challenges before Rayasi completed his treble with two further scores. Arthur Retiere added another from close range as the champions amassed 64 points.
The quarter-final between Bordeaux and Toulouse promises to be one of the matches of the season, a repeat of their epic semi-final from 2025 and their last two Top 14 finals.
Bordeaux tries: Woki, Rayasi 3, Lucu, Bielle-Biarrey, Lamothe, Tameifuna, Retiere. Cons: Lucu 5, Reus 3. Pen: Lucu. Leicester tries: Perese, Searle. Cons: Searle 2.
Quarter-Final Draw
Friday 10 April
Bath Rugby vs Northampton Saints (The Rec, 8pm)
Saturday 11 April
Glasgow Warriors vs RC Toulon (Scotstoun Stadium, 3pm)
Leinster Rugby vs Sale Sharks (Aviva Stadium, 5.30pm)
Sunday 12 April
Union Bordeaux-Bègles vs Stade Toulousain (Stade Chaban-Delmas, 4pm)
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