Connacht Rugby open Champions Cup campaign with first win over Saracens
Connacht 45 Saracens 36European victories don’t come much better than this and Connacht could not have dreamed of a better start to a Champions Cup pool where all their games will be against former tournament winners.
This one looked to get ugly when Saracens dominated the opening stages, racing into a 12-0 lead in as many minutes, but Stuart Lancaster’s men regroup and produced the finest result of his reign in the West.
Ciarán Frawley crowned his home debut at Dexcom Stadium by scoring two tries in a man-of-the-match display as Connacht blew Saracens away in an astonishing tie which produced thirteen tries.
Frawley, Stuart Lancaster’s marquee summer signing as he prepare for his second season in charge, had already impressed in his two URC games to date, but this performance was at a new level which surely puts him in strong contention for the Nations Championship next month.
Irish coach Andy Farrell came to Galway to watch his son Owen but it was the home No.10 who stole the show to fashion one of Connacht’s finest wins in Europe as they returned to the top tier after a couple of seasons in the Challenge Cup.
They scored seven tries on a memorable night in Galway, an outcome which seemed highly unlikely when Saracens bossed the early stages and looked set to run away with the game.Connacht, having opted to rest British and Irish Lions Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham, and having endured enormous difficulty in defending mauls and coughing up penalties in their three URC games this season, looked set for a long evening when they fell 12-0 behind in as many minutes.
By then Saracens had been awarded four penalties and looked dangerous every time they went forward.
A couple of penalties to the right corner were defended well by Connacht, prompting Saracens to go wide with their next effort and Tongan centre Sione Vaenuku spotted a gap and the former Rugby League player got over for the opening try after six minutes. Owen Farrell added the conversion.
Connacht lost winger Shane Jennings to injury and a miserable start was compounded when Saracens got over for a second try after twelve minutes, working the ball from a lineout down the left across the park and winger Noah Calouri supplied the finish to lead 12-0 with Farrell missing the conversion.
But Saracens were unable to build on that fine start with Connacht captain Cian Prendergast leading the home challenge. He almost put his full-back Sam Gilbert over, then Sean Jansen was stopped short but Prendergast made it over the line in the next phase with Gilbert adding the extras after 18 minutes.
Saracens hit back and looked poised to crack the home defence again but Vaenuku was pinged for a neck roll on centre Cathal Forde.
Connacht pressed from the penalty down the right to touch and a surging run and some neat ball juggling by Bundee Aki was key to their second try with Prendergast putting Forde over in the left corner to tie the sides at 12-12 after 24 minutes.
Connacht, having conceded half a dozen maul tries in their last two games, finally managed to score off one themselves when Shamus Hurley-Langton got over in the right corner from a lineout. Full-back Gilbert added the conversion from the wing to lead 19-12 ten minutes from the break.
But Saracens regrouped just before the break with Ben Earl cutting a superb line through the middle and while he was stopped just short by Finn Treacy, they recycled and Connacht lost Hurley-Langton to a yellow card and then Welsh centre Nick Tompkins got over after a tapped penalty. Farrell’s conversion left it 19-19 at the break.
Connacht did not allow Sarries the opportunity to use the extra man as they took charge after the restart and they regained the lead when Prendergast got his second try.
Saracens responded well with Farrell putting Elliot Daly away down the left and he sent Rotimi Segun over.
But their leaky defence was again exposed as Frawley, making his home debut after his summer move from Leinster, got over for the first of his tries after a good break by Finn Treacy after 52 minutes.
Vaenuku’s second try cut the gap to 33-31 after 58 minutes but Sarries were unable to build on it and it was Connacht replacement scrum-half Caolin Blade who got their sixth try after a break from Daniel Ryan put him away going into the final quarter.
It got even better for Connacht three minutes later when Frawley pounced on a lineout throw to score under the posts.
Daly got over in the right corner in the final minute for Saracens but Farrell was unable to convert and they left Galway empty-handed.
Neither side got a try bonus point. The rules have changed this year and the EPCR have adopted the French Top 14 system where a try bonus is only awarded if a team scores more than three tries than the opposition.
Scorers: Connacht: Tries: C Prendergast (2), C Frawley (2) C Forde, S Hurley-Langton, C Blade. Cons: S Gilbert (5).
Saracens: Tries: S Vaenuku (2), N Caluori, N Tompkins, R Segun, E Daly. Cons: O Farrell (3).
Connacht: S Gilbert; F Treacy, C Forde, B Aki (J Ioane 59), S Jennings (D Ryan 10); C Frawley, C Reilly (C Blade 55); F van Wyk (B Bohan 51), M Victory (E de Buitlear 51), S Illo (T Connolly 55); D Murray (N Murray 57), J Murphy; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen (S O’Brien 62).
Saracens: E Daly; N Caluori, N Tompkins, S Vaenuku (F Burke 67), R Segun; O Farrell, T Williams (T James 70); E Mawi (P Brantingham 52), J George (E Clarke 50), M Street (C Weilbach 50); O Sodeke (N Isiekwe 23), H Tizard; M Itoje, T Knight (A Barbeary 52), B Earl (N Michelow 68).
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France).