McMillan wins on an emotional night in Cork: the New Zealanders in Europe's opening round

The European club season opened with a weekend of tributes and tight finishes, and New Zealanders were in the middle of several of the stories: a Kiwi coach winning on an emotional night in Cork, a former league star scoring in defeat, and a Clermont first five-eighth who did not miss a kick.

Every game began with a minute's silence for Lions lock Hyron Andrews, 31, who died at the team's hotel in France on the eve of their opener. At La Rochelle, his No 5 shirt was laid on the pitch, the crowd applauded in the fifth minute, and the Lions left the number empty.

Champions Cup round one: the New Zealand angles

Munster 33, Racing 92 25. Clayton McMillan, the former Chiefs coach now in charge of Munster, won his first Champions Cup match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the tenth anniversary of Anthony Foley's death. Planet Rugby credited McMillan's call to start Charlie O'Shea, who converted. For Racing, Joey Manu, the former Roosters and Kiwis league star, scored one of their three tries.

Clermont 23, Leinster 48. Harry Plummer, the one-Test All Black, kicked five from five and Clermont led 16-15 at half-time, before Leinster pulled away with a second-half surge. Leinster's NZ-born halfback Jamison Gibson-Park was still missing.

Stormers 49, Bristol 12. Pat Lam, the Auckland-raised former Samoa captain who runs Bristol, sent his youngest and least experienced Champions Cup side to Cape Town and watched them hold the Stormers to 21-12 before four late tries. Lam defended the choice, saying the Premiership was his priority and that "no player can play six games on the trot."

Connacht 45, Saracens 36. Former Hurricanes flanker Shamus Hurley-Langton scored one of Connacht's seven tries in Galway, in a game Ireland's Ciarán Frawley lit up with two tries and the player-of-the-match award.

Toulouse 43, Exeter 40. Exeter came within a missed late penalty of a draw against 14-man Toulouse, with Zack Wimbush scoring a hat-trick. Exeter's incoming Kiwi centre, Dallas McLeod, has not joined them yet: he is still in Christchurch, playing for Canterbury in the NPC.

The rest of the round: Gloucester and Bordeaux-Bègles drew 36-36; the Bulls beat Stade Français 56-20 with a Cheswill Jooste hat-trick; Glasgow won 47-27 at Sale; La Rochelle beat the Lions 31-14; Montpellier won 32-14 at Bath; Pau beat Leicester 41-17; and Northampton beat Cardiff 28-12, the only English win of the weekend.

Challenge Cup round one

Harlequins beat Vannes 57-19, with Marcus Smith scoring 22 points despite a yellow card; none of Vannes's three New Zealanders featured in the reports. Dragons beat Perpignan 29-14, Castres edged Benetton 18-9, the Ospreys won 39-14 at Black Lion, and Toulon won 27-17 in Edinburgh. Lyon lost 40-33 to the Sharks, Ulster won 40-21 at Zebre, the Scarlets beat Newcastle 47-14, and Bayonne held off the Cheetahs 29-27.

What comes next

The leagues resume this weekend. McMillan takes Munster to Dublin to face Leinster, Lam's Bristol host Exeter, and eight New Zealanders are named in the Top 14. The Champions Cup returns in December.