The exception was Pool 3 leaders Ulster Rugby, but they were involved in a 96-point extravaganza at the RDS Arena, where Leinster Rugby, who have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup, edged a 14-try Guinness PRO14 thriller 54-42 on Friday night.

Max Deegan and Scott Penny notched doubles in Leinster’s eight-try display, which took them 12 points clear at the top of Conference A from Ulster, for whom Greg Jones grabbed a brace. Harry Byrne converted seven of Leinster’s tries, while Bill Johnston improved all of Ulster’s.

Pool 2 pacesetters Exeter Chiefs were involved in a similar thriller in the Gallagher Premiership at Leicester on Saturday, rallying from 22-14 behind at the break to triumph 31-22. Don Armand led the fightback with two of the Chiefs’ four tries and Gareth Stenson kicked 11 points.

Likewise, TOP 14 duo Racing 92 and Toulouse, head of Pools 4 and 5 respectively, emerged triumphant from their domestic tussles on Saturday, but they had to fight all the way.

Racing squeezed past Montpellier 29-25 at Paris La Defense Arena, where Maxime Machenaud was their hero with 16 points, while Toulouse battled to a 13-8 success at Agen.

Indeed, it was a good weekend all round for Heineken Champions Cup clubs in the Premiership and PRO14, with Ospreys, Pool 4’s bottom team, the only Champions Cup team to fall to Challenge Cup opposition – and that was very close, as Cardiff Blues won 19-16 at the Liberty Stadium.

It was a different story in the TOP 14, though, with three Champions Cup clubs – Lyon, La Rochelle and ASM Clermont Auvergne – losing at Challenge Cup grounds.

Lyon were beaten 29-12 at Castres Olympique, La Rochelle went down 20-15 at TOP 14 leaders Bordeaux-Begles and Clermont were overwhelmed 41-19 at RC Toulon.

The front-runners in the Heineken Champions Cup transferred their fine form in Europe to their domestic scenes at the weekend, with all but one winning their matches.