Connacht Outscore Saracens 45-36 in Seven-Try Champions Cup Opener

Connacht opened their Investec Champions Cup Pool Two campaign with a 45-36 victory over Saracens at Dexcom Stadium on 17 October 2026, a result that delivered the Connacht Saracens Champions Cup result in the most entertaining fashion: seven tries to six, and a half-time score of 19-19 that barely hinted at what followed.

Saracens start fast, Connacht answer before the break

Saracens needed little time to impose themselves. Two early tries put them 12-0 ahead and suggested the three-time Champions Cup winners might control the opening pool fixture.

Connacht’s response was emphatic. They scored 19 unanswered points through three tries, turning the deficit into a 19-12 lead. The spell changed the shape of the first half and forced Saracens to chase the game.

Discipline then cost Connacht. Shamus Hurley-Langton was sin-binned before half-time, reducing the home side to 14 men. Saracens capitalised in first-half red time when Nick Tompkins crossed, sending the teams in level at 19-19 after an enthralling opening period.

Fourteen men, and Connacht still strike first

Connacht began the second half still a man short, but they scored first. Captain Cian Prendergast went over for his second try of the match after a Bundee Aki assist, reasserting the home side’s advantage.

Saracens replied through Rotimi Segun, who finished a move involving Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly. The try kept Saracens within reach, but Connacht’s attack found another gear.

Ciaran Frawley scored two second-half tries, and replacement Caolin Blade added another. Josh Gilbert converted five of Connacht’s seven tries, keeping the scoreboard moving as the match opened up.

Saracens refused to fold. Sione Vaenuku completed his second try of the game, and Elliot Daly crossed late to keep the visitors in contention. Farrell’s missed conversion after Daly’s try left Saracens without the losing bonus point they might have secured.

Why seven tries did not earn Connacht a bonus point

Despite scoring seven tries, Connacht did not collect a bonus point. Under the pool-stage rule, a bonus point requires a team to score three or more tries than their opponent. Saracens scored six, so the margin was only one try.

The attacking display was still a hugely impressive result for Connacht, particularly given their poor United Rugby Championship form. They went into the match third from bottom in the URC after three games. Saracens, by contrast, have won the Champions Cup three times.

La Rochelle win, and a tribute to Hyron Andrews

In the other Pool Two match, La Rochelle beat the Lions 31-14. The Lions played in honour of Hyron Andrews, the former Sale Sharks player who died on Friday aged 31 at the team hotel. Tributes were paid to Andrews before kick-off.

Connacht’s four pool matches are against past-decade Champions Cup winners, making their opening win a notable statement. The bonus point eluded them, but the seven-try performance and the raucous atmosphere at Dexcom Stadium gave them a winning start to the campaign.