Saracens down Connacht in high-scoring Champions Cup contest

Saracens got their quest for a fourth European title back on track by beating Investec Champions Cup opponents Connacht 55-36 at the StoneX Stadium.

Mark McCall’s team recovered from defeat against the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend to claim a bonus-point triumph.

It was not all plain-sailing, with Connacht leading by nine points approaching half-time, but England hooker Jamie George’s try double just before the interval settled Saracens down.

Flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez claimed an early touchdown, while centre Olly Hartley marked his first Champions Cup start by collecting the bonus-point touchdown after 43 minutes and then posting another score.

Wings Sean Maitland and Lucio Cinti also crossed, as did hooker Theo Dan, with skipper Owen Farrell kicking three penalties and three conversions as Saracens scored 35 unanswered points between the 33rd and 61st minutes.

Connacht, crushed 41-5 at home by Bordeaux-Begles in their Champions Cup opener, saw centre Bundee Aki, scrum-half Caolin Blade, flanker Cian Prendergast, plus substitutes JJ Hanrahan and Joe Joyce score tries, which meant a losing bonus, with Jack Carty booting two conversions and a penalty and Hanrahan adding two conversions.

Champions Cup holders La Rochelle, meanwhile, suffered an agonising defeat against the Stormers in Cape Town – their second successive loss of the tournament – following a late Andre-Hugo Venter try that Manie Libbok converted to secure a 21-20 verdict.