Connacht stun three time European winners Saracens 45 to 36 in a Galway thriller

The story

Connacht came into this one sitting third from bottom of their league after three games. You would never have known it on Saturday. They ran in seven tries against Saracens, a club that has lifted the European trophy three times, and won 45 to 36 in front of a loud home crowd in Galway. It did not start well. Saracens went 12 points up early through Sione Vaenuku and Noah Caluori. Then Connacht found their rhythm and scored 19 points in a row, with captain Cian Prendergast, Cathal Forde and Shamus Hurley-Langton all getting over the line. Hurley-Langton was sent to the sin bin right before half time, and Nick Tompkins made Connacht pay with a sneaky score from close range. That left it level at 19 each at the break. Even with a man down, Connacht struck first after the restart when Bundee Aki set up Prendergast for his second. Saracens kept hitting back, but Ciaran Frawley scored twice and replacement Caolin Blade added another to open a 14 point gap. Saracens nearly snatched a losing bonus point at the end. Elliot Daly scored late, but Owen Farrell pushed the conversion wide. Connacht missed out on a bonus point of their own too, because this season a team has to outscore its opponent by three tries to earn one. In the same pool, La Rochelle beat the Lions 31 to 14. The Lions played in memory of teammate Hyron Andrews, who died on Friday at the age of 31.