Ulster No 8 Juarno Augustus was among the standout performers in the opening round of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
The 28-year-old South African made more carries (25) than any other player across the weekend and ranked third for post-contact metres (31) as Ulster ran in six tries in their 40-21 victory over Zebre in Parma.
Round one delivered plenty of drama across Europe, with several impressive away victories and thrilling finishes.
The Sharks snatched a dramatic 40-33 win against Lyon in an 11-try thriller, while the Ospreys scored seven tries in their 39-14 victory over Black Lion in Tbilisi.
Harlequins ran in nine tries to thrash Vannes 57-19, while the Scarlets hammered Newcastle 47-14.
Toulon, the Dragons and Castres also made winning starts to their campaigns, while the Cheetahs suffered a 29-27 defeat to Bayonne in France.
Top performers (Round 1)
Points: Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Melvyn Jaminet (Toulon) – 22
Carries: Juarno Augustus (Ulster) – 25
Metres: Luke Morgan (Ospreys) – 141
Defenders beaten: Monty Ioane (Lyon) – 10
Lineouts won: Guido Petti (Harlequins) – 12
Tackles: Harry Beddall (Dragons) – 34
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Key stats (Round 1)
– Juarno Augustus (Ulster) made the most carries (25) and ranked third for post-contact metres (31).
– Marcus Smith (Harlequins) scored the joint-most points (22), including 10 from his two tries.
– Luke Morgan (Ospreys) made the most dominant carries (eight), gained the most metres (141) and post-contact metres (36), and made a round-high seven clean breaks.
– Monty Ioane (Lyon) beat more defenders (10) than any other player and scored a try.
– Josh Macleod (Scarlets) won a round-high five turnovers and made 21 tackles.
Photo: Ulster Rugby/Facebook
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Ulster No 8 Juarno Augustus was among the standout performers in the opening round of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
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