CIARÁN FRAWLEY CROWNED his home debut with two tries in a man-of-the-match display as Connacht got their Champions Cup campaign off to a flying start in an astonishing clash at Dexcom Stadium which produced 13 tries.
Seven of those were scored by Stuart Lancaster’s men as they returned to Europe’s top tier after a couple of seasons in the Challenge Cup, and they laid down a marker against the former champions.
In the end they produced one of their most memorable wins in Europe, 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, with his father Andy, the Irish head coach, watching from the new stand at the Galway venue, 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 12 minutes, working the ball from a lineout down the left across the park and winger Noah Caluori 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.
Advertisement
Cathal Forde celebrates. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
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 10 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.
"Bright lights are shining all around Galway" 🗣️
What a game at The Dexcom as Ciaran Frawley grabs his second of the game in superb fashion 🔥
#InvestecChampionsCup https://t.co/RHvdqiRiWZ
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.
Connacht scorers:
Tries - C Prendergast (2), C Frawley (2), C Forde, S Hurley-Langton, C Blade.
Conversions – S Gilbert (5 from 7).
Saracens scorers:
Tries - S Vaenuku (2), N Caluori, N Tompkins, R Segun, E Daly.
Conversions - O Farrell (3 from 6)
CONNACHT: Sam Gilbert; Finn Treacy, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki (Josh Ioane 59), Shane Jennings (Daniel Ryan 10); Ciaran Frawley, Colm Reilly (Caolin Blade 55); Francois van Wyk (Billy Bohan 51), Matthew Victory (Eoin de Buitlear 51), Sam Illo (Thomas Connolly 55); Darragh Murray (Niall Murray 57), Josh Murphy; Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Sean Jansen (Sean O’Brien 62).
SARACENS: Elliot Daly; Noah Caluori, Nick Tompkins, Sione Vaenuku (Fergus Burke 67), Rotimi Segun; Owen Farrell, Tomos Williams (Tom James 70); Eroni Mawi (Phil Brantingham 52), Jamie George (Eoghan Clarke 50), Marcus Street (Corne Weilbach 50); Olamide Sodeke (Nick Isiekwe 23), Hugh Tizard; Maro Itoje, Toby Knight (Alfie Barbeary 52), Ben Earl (Nathan Michelow 68).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
31 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Frawley stars on home debut as Connacht beat Saracens in 13-try thriller
Connacht 45
Saracens 36
John Fallon reports from Dexcom Stadium
CIARÁN FRAWLEY CROWNED his home debut with two tries in a man-of-the-match display as Connacht got their Champions Cup campaign off to a flying start in an astonishing clash at Dexcom Stadium which produced 13 tries.
Seven of those were scored by Stuart Lancaster’s men as they returned to Europe’s top tier after a couple of seasons in the Challenge Cup, and they laid down a marker against the former champions.
In the end they produced one of their most memorable wins in Europe, 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, with his father Andy, the Irish head coach, watching from the new stand at the Galway venue, 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 12 minutes, working the ball from a lineout down the left across the park and winger Noah Caluori 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 10 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.
Connacht scorers:
Tries - C Prendergast (2), C Frawley (2), C Forde, S Hurley-Langton, C Blade.
Conversions – S Gilbert (5 from 7).
Saracens scorers:
Tries - S Vaenuku (2), N Caluori, N Tompkins, R Segun, E Daly.
Conversions - O Farrell (3 from 6)
CONNACHT: Sam Gilbert; Finn Treacy, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki (Josh Ioane 59), Shane Jennings (Daniel Ryan 10); Ciaran Frawley, Colm Reilly (Caolin Blade 55); Francois van Wyk (Billy Bohan 51), Matthew Victory (Eoin de Buitlear 51), Sam Illo (Thomas Connolly 55); Darragh Murray (Niall Murray 57), Josh Murphy; Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Sean Jansen (Sean O’Brien 62).
SARACENS: Elliot Daly; Noah Caluori, Nick Tompkins, Sione Vaenuku (Fergus Burke 67), Rotimi Segun; Owen Farrell, Tomos Williams (Tom James 70); Eroni Mawi (Phil Brantingham 52), Jamie George (Eoghan Clarke 50), Marcus Street (Corne Weilbach 50); Olamide Sodeke (Nick Isiekwe 23), Hugh Tizard; Maro Itoje, Toby Knight (Alfie Barbeary 52), Ben Earl (Nathan Michelow 68).
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Connacht Match Report Rugby The West's awake