Connacht defeated Saracens 45-36 in their Champions Cup group stage opener at Dexcom Stadium, scoring seven tries. The three-time Champions Cup winners, Saracens, could not stop the home side, who turned the match around after an early deficit.
The visitors led 12-0, but Connacht responded with 19 unanswered points and the teams were level 19-19 at half-time. Just before the break, Shamus Hurley-Langton received a temporary sin-bin. Connacht scored first in the second half, and Bundee Aki assisted Prendergast for his second try. The home side then built a 14-point lead.
In Connacht's ranks, captain Cian Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley each scored two tries, while Cathal Forde, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Caolin Blade each crossed once. Gilbert successfully converted five kicks.
Saracens replied with five tries: Sione Vaenuku scored two, and Noah Caluori, Nick Tompkins and Rotimi Segun added one each. Elliot Daly scored a try late on, but Owen Farrell, who had converted three kicks, missed the conversion after Daly's try. The match was refereed by Pierre Brousset of France, assisted by Luc Ramos and Julien Caulier, with TMO Tual Trainini.
Connacht missed out on a bonus point. Teams in this pool stage need to score three or more tries than their opponent to earn a bonus point. Connacht were third from bottom in the United Rugby Championship (URC) table after three rounds.
In the other Pool 2 match on Saturday, La Rochelle beat Lions 31-14. The Lions played that match in honour of their teammate Hyron Andrews, a former Sale Sharks player who died in a hotel room on Friday at the age of 31. A tribute was paid to him before kickoff.
