Champions and Challenge Cup rugby was rounded off for 2017 over the weekend as the jostling for quarterfinal berths intensified.
But who caught the eye, who had a game to forget, and what will we all be talking about ahead of the next round of fixtures?
Player of the weekend
Champions Cup (Martyn Thomas): Anthony Watson (Bath). With England coach Eddie Jones watching on from the stands at the Rec, Watson picked a good time to display his potency from fullback. The British & Irish Lion scored two impressive tries, the second of which coming at the end of a lightning-quick arcing run on which Watson outstripped the flat-footed Toulon defence. In all he made 113 metres with ball in hand while beating six defenders and making three clean breaks. It was a performance that will have had England fans salivating.
Challenge Cup (James Harrington): Ollie Thorley (Gloucester). Winger Thorley, 21, clearly likes the Challenge Cup -- and playing Zebre. A week ago, he answered an emergency call from Johan Ackermann as the team bus was on its way to the airport for Gloucester's trip to Italy, then scored twice as an injury replacement. This week, he scored four of the Cherry and Whites' 11 tries as they ran riot in the reverse fixture at Kingsholm.
Flop of the weekend
Champions Cup: La Rochelle. The upstarts from the west coast of France had been the team to beat prior to their trip to the Ricoh Arena to face Wasps. But under grey skies in Coventry, the Top 14 side were kept at arm's length by hosts who could and maybe should have ended the match with a bonus point. The visitors by contrast looked disjointed and the eight changes made to the side that rampaged to victory seven days previously clearly had an impact. Not even the introduction of Victor Vito with 28 minutes left could shake La Rochelle into life.
Challenge Cup: Krasny Yar. The Siberian side shocked defending champions Stade Francais in the opening round of the competition -- but, denied the comforts of home since that outing in Krasnoyarsk back in October, they have since been little more than Pool 4 cannon fodder. This weekend, they offered little more than training ground opposition for Edinburgh at Murrayfield, conceding 12 tries and 78 points without summoning any form of response.
Best coaching call
Champions Cup: Clermont showed the value of keeping the scoreboard ticking over as they narrowly beat Saracens at the Stade Marcel Michelin. Finding themselves 13-0 down with less than 10 minutes on the clock Sunday, the hosts refused to panic and rather than launching penalties to the corner in search of tries, Morgan Parra and Scott Spedding sent them over the posts as Saracens were reeled in. Whether that was a decision taken by the players on the pitch or the coaches in the stands, it proved decisive.
Challenge Cup: Greg Cooper's first season in charge at Stade Francais has not gone quite according to plan. This week, however, not one but three replacements made an important impact as the Parisian side recovered from 12 points down to win 26-20 at London Irish with the last play of the game. Forwards Giorgi Melikidze and Waisea Vuidravuwalu came on and rumbled over for two second-half scores, and France reject Jules Plisson's one-handed flick pass gave Tony Ensor enough room to score the crucial final try with the clock in the red.
Biggest refereeing call
Champions Cup: Pascal Gauzere (Leinster vs. Exeter). Following a week in which the use of the TMO in rugby had been the subject of much debate, Gauzere seemed determined to prove that he could make his own decisions. His call not to show a red card to Cian Healy aside -- one made with video assistance -- there was a reluctance to go upstairs that ensured the Pool 3 clash flowed but also led to a number of questionable decisions. The most contentious being his non-referral of a forward pass to Luke McGrath as the scrum-half scored the decisive try.
Challenge Cup: Vlad Iordaschescu (Oyonnax vs Worcester Warriors). Sending Worcester's Joe Taufete'e to the sin bin for a tip tackle may have been a routine decision. But it had a decisive effect on the match in wintry eastern France. Oyonnax, a side that had not won a match in any competition since beating Agen in the Top 14 in September -- their sole victory this season -- scored twice in the 10 minutes he was on the sidelines, and held on for a morale-boosting 27-20 victory.
Storyline to keep an eye on...
Champions Cup: Consistency of officiating and application of the TMO -- or a lack thereof -- was again on show in continental rugby's biggest competition but it was not the only issue. Far from it. Concussion should rightly remain on the agenda over the coming weeks but the two topics are not mutually exclusive. The sight of Johnny Sexton hobbling off the pitch for an HIA is becoming an all-too familiar occurrence. It was surprising, therefore, given the current climate around player welfare to see Healy only showed yellow after he made contact Luke Cowan-Dickie's head less than 20 minutes later.
Challenge Cup: The fitness of Cardiff Blues captain Gethin Jenkins. The veteran Wales and Lions prop was named as one of six changes to Cardiff's side as they sought to avenge their third-round humiliation at Sale -- but he failed to shrug off calf and knee issues, and was forced to withdraw following a late fitness test. The Blues still won a hard-fought encounter in wet and wild conditions at the Arms Park, but Jenkins' fitness will be a cause for concern.