Power Ranking Europe's Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of October 3-5

It was moving weekend at the top of all three major European leagues, with new sides assuming first place in each.

Chastening defeats were meted out to powerhouses Clermont and Leinster, while another giant finally stirred from its slumber, as Toulouse rediscovered how to win a rugby match at the expense of an ever-present member of this top 15.

There is just one week of domestic argy-bargy remaining before the new European competitions begin, so let’s see who is easing into top gear ahead of the next big phase of the season.

15. Connacht (PRO12)

Connacht drew, 24-24, at home with the Cardiff Blues and will be kicking themselves for drawing a game they led 24-10.

Robbie Henshaw, Kieran Marmion and Nathan White seemed to have put them in a commanding position with half an hour to go.

But Macauley Cook scored with 11 minutes remaining, and his effort was followed up by a Sam Hobbs score, both were converted by Rhys Patchell, thus restricting Pat Lam’s men to a share of the spoils.

Connacht remain a healthy fifth in the division with just one defeat all season.

14. Exeter (Premiership)

Someone was going to lose to Newcastle at some point. That it was a side in the top four of the Premiership was the most surprising thing.

Exeter matched the Falcons' three tries, but Juan Pablo Socino out-kicked the Chiefs’ Gareth Steenson four penalties to three and the game’s only conversion in a 29-24 defeat for Rob Baxter’s side.

They hang on to fourth spot in the table.

13. Stade Francais (Top 14)

Stade slipped to sixth in the Top 14 table as they fell victim to Toulouse, who arrested a dreadful run of five consecutive defeats.

Tououse’s kiwi import Luke McAlister kicked five penalties and converted Gael Fickou’s try in a game in which Stade never had a foothold.

Stade, who only had a Meyer Bosman penalty and a try from Jeremy Sinzelle to cheer, are one of three clubs on 22 points around the fiercely contested top-four placings.

They can do something about that when they host Racing Metro in what promises to be a blood-curdling Parisian derby.

12. Montpellier (Top 14)

Montpellier recovered from their heavy defeat in Toulon to capture that rare beast in French domestic rugby: an away win.

Fabien Galthie’s side beat Bayonne 15-10 thanks to a double from Australian new boy Ben Mowen. The No. 8 has settled well in his new surroundings.

They are now only out of the top four on points difference and face Oyonnax at home next week.

There is no excursion to face foreign opposition a week later either, as their first fixture in the Rugby Champions Cup pits them against Toulouse.

11. Munster (PRO12)

Munster sparked their season into life with a 34-23 victory over their biggest foes, Leinster, in front of a bumper crowd at the Aviva Stadium.

The home side had no answer to the intensity of the Munster performance as they bombed the champions out of the argument before the interval. They led 28-9 at the break.

The Irish Independent’s Neil Francis identified the key to their transformation from the stuttering side they have been thus far:

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You expect bloody-mindedness and continued endeavour from Munster but they made a quantum leap in terms of their deficiencies last week where they were blown off the park by Ospreys at the breakdown.

Maybe the mindset was that they wouldn't even bother travelling to Dublin if they were that easy at the breakdown and so they applied a little bit of mental starch and streamlined their resolve and gave a performance at the breakdown that won them the game.

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10. Ulster (PRO12)

Ulster laid waste to Edinburgh in Belfast with a 30-0 drubbing that puts them third in the table.

Irish test wing Andrew Trimble bookended the contest with the first and last tries with Nick Williams and Rory Best adding the others.

But the Belfast Telegraph’s Michael Sadlier was concerned with what he saw as a game plan poorly executed before reverting to a narrower strategy to churn out the win.

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It can be very tricky to break down a team intent on not exactly playing—hoofing it in the air and illegally slowing ball down seemed the Scots' primary weapon—but to see so many attempted moves come to pretty much nothing before the forwards decided to stick it up their jumpers and then use their numerical advantage after Mike Coman's 59th minute yellow card hardly inspires huge confidence ahead of the rather challenging next three games.

"

Credit is due to the players who have been performing under a cloud of uncertainty as to who will be steering the ship since the departure of former director of rugby David Humphreys.

The imminent arrival of Neil Doak as the main man, per the Irish Independent, should see a clearer game plan emerge.

9. Glasgow (PRO12)

Unbeaten Glasgow were staring down the barrel after 10 minutes when they found themselves 10-0 down in Treviso.

But three tries in 14 minutes regained the initiative for Gregor Townsend’s side, who went on to register a 40-23 win and position themselves one point clear at the top of the league.

They next face Ulster in the Irish province, which will provide a stern test of their title-winning capabilities.

8. Ospreys (PRO12)

The Ospreys went to Zebre and narrowly avoided the banana skin that had left Ultster on their backsides a week previously.

Their 15-14 win was secured by the cool head of 21-year-old Sam Davies, who struck a 71st-minute penalty to seal the result, rounding off an afternoon in which he had notched all his team’s points.

The youngster replaced the injured Dan Biggar inside the first 10 minutes and missed four of his nine kicks, but WalesOnline’s Andy Howell insists the newcomer needs more chances to settle at this level:

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Make no mistake, Davies is no mug. He was the International Rugby Board’s under-20 player of the year after guiding Wales to second-place behind England at last year’s Junior World Championship in France, kicking beautifully. His rusty showing in Parma was anything but.

With Biggar set to be away on Wales duty for the whole of next month and next year’s Six Nations, Davies could see plenty of action but would benefit from having more advance minutes to get in the groove.

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7. Bordeaux Begles (Top 14)

Raphael Ibanez’s men are another side boasting a perfect home record thanks to a high-scoring 51-21 victory over deposed leaders Clermont Auvergne.

They raced into a 24-9 lead before half­–time and continued to pile on points after the break, with Clermont only registering two tries in the second half.

There is no fear in this Bordeaux team, and they will be sensing more prestigious blood next week when last year’s beaten finalists Castres come to town.

Castres have struggled this season but thumped Grenoble last week. They will not have it quite so easy in Bordeaux.

6. Clermont Auvergne (Top 14)

Clermont surrendered top spot in France with a shocking 51-21 defeat at Bordeaux Begles.

It’s not uncommon for away sides to get a drubbing in French domestic rugby, but better is expected from one of the best sides in Europe when they travel.

The perfect tonic could be in store for Franck Azema's men when they host minnows La Rochelle, and they could do with the tune up before heading across la Manche to face their semi–final conquerers in Europe last season, Saracens.

5. Saracens (Premiership)

Sarries lost the only 100 per cent record in England in their defeat to Bath.

They will be kicking themselves for not capitalizing on 14 missed points from the home side’s George Ford.

But Mark McCall’s men have a strong enough constitution to digest this one and redouble their efforts at the top end of the table.

4. Bath (Premiership)

Bath recovered from defeat to Northampton to slay the other major title contenders, Saracens.

Centre pair Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph grabbed tries either side of half-time and impressed none other than Sir Ian McGeechan, who also viewed this 21-11 win as a season-shaping moment for Mike Ford’s side in his Telegraph column.

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It was Bath’s statement game. They simply had to prove that they could win a top-four match. Yes, they beat Leicester, last season’s third-placed team, 45-0 a few weeks ago, but Leicester were very poor that day.

Saracens were not poor on Friday night. Bath were just very good.

They had learnt their lessons from defeat to the champions Northampton last weekend, put a game together and beat a previously unbeaten side. It was the breakthrough they just had to make.

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3. Racing Metro (Top 14)

Racing made third spot their own with a 46-32 win at home to Brive, racking up seven tries in the process.

And they did so without Lions Jonny Sexton, Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate, while Mike Phillips could only command a place on the bench.

With all those big names missing and the club enjoying a strong start to the campaign, it hasn’t deterred president Jacky Lorenzetti from declaring his interest in the biggest name of all: Dan Carter, per the Sydney Morning Herald.

The victory over Brive made it four wins from four at home for Racing, but they haven’t tasted success on the road since the opening day in Montpellier, a record that could undermine any title charge they try to mount.

2. Northampton (Premiership)

The Saints took top spot from Saracens with a 19-12 win at London Irish.

Luther Burrell got on the score sheet, providing more fuel to the debate over England’s centre conundrum.

With Kyle Eastmond in red hot form and Sam Burgess soon to be joining him at Bath, Burrell is keeping himself right in the mix. His coach Jim Mallinder told the Telegraph:

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'Centre is a competitive position and Luther enjoys that. Throughout his career he’s always been up against it,' Mallinder said. ‘He’s not worried about the competition, instead he’s just concentrating on playing well for Saints. Hopefully Stuart Lancaster will pick him.'

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1. Toulon (Top 14)

The French and European champions were the next big hitter to test the fearsome home reputation Oyonnax have built for themselves.

Bernard Laporte’s men came through with a 21-18 win that lifted them to top spot in the Top 14.

Tries from Juan Smith and Drew Mitchell were supplemented by the trusty boot of James O’Connor, who banged over three penalties and a conversion.

The home side could not find a way through the Toulon defensive line and had to rely on the boot of Ben Urdapilleta in a nip-tuck affair.