Two former Wallaby forwards are celebrating their part in a European club rugby triumph for Union Bordeaux Begles after the French powerhouse outfit downed Irish side Leinster to scoop back-to-back Champions Cup titles in Spain.
It comes as several former Test teammates make their mark in the Japanese leagues, which are going through the first weekend of finals.
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The 34-year-old lock Adam Coleman and 29-year-old flanker Lachlan Swinton were in the engine room of a dominant performance from the French 14 outfit on Saturday as they ran out convincing 41-19 winners at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
Coleman, a 38-time capped Australia lock between 2016 and 2019 before he later began representing Tonga on ancestry grounds, played the first half, excelled in the opening half, helping crush the Irish into near-submission at 35-7 up at the break.
When the former Western Force and Melbourne Rebels second-rower came off after the break, he was replaced by Sydney flanker Swinton, who played the last of his seven Wallabies Tests against Wales in 2021.
Last year, another Wallaby Pete Samu played alongside Coleman as Bordeaux triumphed, but he's since left for the Waratahs, while Swinton has come to the fore.
Earlier in the week, Tom Banks and Jordan Uelese helped Montpellier to a 59-26 win over Angus Bell's Ulster in the Challenge Cup, the second-tier European Cup.
The former Rebels hooker was one of the French side's best in the win, coming up with two turnovers as Banks recorded two tackle busts.
For Bell, it ends his stint with the Northern Irish side, set to return home after his sabbatical.
Meanwhile, Aussie veteran Sean McMahon edged one game closer to his second title in Japan after Tokyo Sungoliath eliminated BlackRams Tokyo 40-35 in a pulsating League One quarter-final.
Sungoliath scored in the fourth minute of added time on Saturday to finally break their gallant rivals, who had been spurred on by two tries from inspirational All Black halfback TJ Perenara.
The 31-year-old McMahon, who joined Sungoliath after playing 27 Tests for Australia between 2014 and 2017, and 49 games for the ill-fated Melbourne Rebels, has only made 64 appearances during an injury-plagued nine years in Japan.
The back-rower's only title came in his maiden season when he teamed up with Wallaby legend George Smith.
Sungoliath have advanced to a semi-final showdown against former Wallaby boss Dave Rennie's Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley also remains in play during his final League One season, after Spears Funabashi Bay ended the run of the two-time defending champions Brave Lupus, winning Sunday's second quarter final 26-3.
Foley won his personal battle against All Black counterpart Richie Mo'unga, who returns to New Zealand to chase a Test jersey later in the year, having failed in his bid for a hat-trick of titles from his Japanese stint.
Next up for the Spears is a date with a Saitama Wild Knights team that has Foley's former Waratahs teammate Berrick Barnes on its coaching staff.
