Northampton Town ended a long wait for English success in the Champions Cup with a 28-12 victory over Cardiff. The win on Sunday, October 18, 2026, was the only one for an English side from eight attempts on the competition's opening weekend.
Tries from James Pater, Toby Thame, George Hendy and a late score from Fraser Dingwall were enough to overcome the Welsh region. The result provides a significant morale boost for a club that sits 22nd in League Two, having taken just 10 points from their opening nine games.
Northampton succeeded where seven other English clubs had failed. The home side built a commanding lead through their forward pack and clinical finishing. Cardiff struggled to contain the physicality, with Northampton's defence holding firm to secure the bonus-point win.
The tournament's opening round was defined by dramatic contests elsewhere. Six-time champions Toulouse survived an early red card to edge Exeter Chiefs 43-40 in a thriller. Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti was dismissed after just 15 minutes for a high tackle, and the side finished the first half with 13 men after a yellow card for winger Teddy Thomas.
Despite being without key injured players like locks Emmanuel Meafou and Thibaud Flament, Toulouse fought back. Belgium full-back Matias Remue crossed twice in the final 12 minutes to seal the win after Exeter, for whom Will Butt and Zack Wimbush scored, had led 40-38. Henry Slade missed a potential match-winning penalty for the Chiefs in the 82nd minute.
"When you see how the game panned out, at half-time we would have signed up for a victory," said Toulouse captain Antoine Dupont. He added of Slade's miss, "It’s the tragic part of the sport, the role of a kicker, he missed the most important kick."
In other results, Top 14 side Pau beat Leicester Tigers 41-17, with Portugal centre Rodrigo Marta scoring two of their five tries.
The European success offers a welcome contrast to Northampton's domestic struggles. Jon Brady's side are 12 points adrift of League Two leaders Salford City and have a goal difference of minus one. Their recent form shows just one win in their last five league outings, a pattern they will be desperate to change.
Attention now turns immediately to a key League Two fixture. Northampton host 17th-placed Tranmere Rovers at Sixfields on Tuesday, October 20, looking to build on the momentum from this historic cup win.
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