Saracens produced a victory to rescue their season as they overcame Toulouse 20-14 in a heavyweight Champions Cup clash at StoneX Stadium.
Two tries from Rotimi Segun and a third by Tom Willis placed Maro Itoje's team in command after they were in danger of being swept away by a full-blooded start from the six-time champions.
Toulouse fought back in swirling winds and driving rain and while they threatened to reel in the deficit, the arrival of Owen Farrell and Ben Earl off the bench provided Saracens with the extra class they needed to get over the line.
But the dominant figure on a famous night in north London was Willis, the England number 8 who was a force of nature despite needing treatment for an early injury.
It was the response demanded by boss Mark McCall following Saracens’ recent slide down the Gallagher Prem, but it was another shaky night from Antoine Dupont’s Toulouse who were humbled 28-21 by Glasgow in their last Champions Cup outing.
Northampton were brought back down to earth after they suffered a 50-28 loss away to Champions Cup holders Bordeaux in a repeat of last season's final.
Saints had already secured a place in the round of 16 after two wins from two in the competition and despite a double by Henry Pollock, they lost for the first time in Europe this season.
Irresistible champions Bordeaux, who brought on Joey Carbery with 20 minutes to play, crossed over eight times in a scintillating display, but Northampton were able to leave with a bonus point after Danilo Fischetti touched down with two minutes left.
A ding-dong battle in a repeat of the 2025 showpiece appeared on the cards when Pollock instantly replied in the 10th minute to the first try by Bordeaux wing Salesi Rayasi.
Ill-discipline proved costly for Saints as a raft of first-half sin-bins meant it was 24-7 to Bordeaux at the interval and Rayasi completed his treble two minutes after the restart.
Cameron Woki (above) joined Rayasi in scoring a hat-trick after he bundled over in the 50th minute, but the visitors showed character with England star Pollock able to add to a Tommy Freeman score late on before Fischetti clinched a losing bonus point to leave Northampton third in Pool 4.
Rampant Harlequins returned to form in style by blowing away previously unbeaten Stormers 61-10 at the Twickenham Stoop to secure their place in the Champions Cup knockout stages with one group game remaining.
Stormers had won all their 10 competitive fixtures so far this season, two in this competition and eight in the United Rugby Championship, but they left their first-choice team in Cape Town and paid the price with a desperately poor display.
Quins, with Marcus Smith and Tyrone Green pulling the strings, scored nine tries.
Nick David touched down for three of them, with Jack Kenningham, Cadan Murley, Alex Dombrandt, Chandler Cunningham-South, Zach Carr and Jarrod Evans bagging the others. Smith converted eight.
Unconverted second-half tries from replacement Imad Khan and Dylan Maart were all Stormers could muster in response.
The results today mean that Leinster have qualified for the last 16 with a game in hand.
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