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Updated 08/12/2023 at 23:19 GMT
On the first night of 2023/24 Investec Champions Cup rugby, there were comfortable victories for the two away sides. Northampton Saints fell behind early before easing to a 28-19 win over Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun, while Bordeaux Begles thumped Connacht 41-5 at the Galway Greyhound Stadium. Follow all the Champions Cup action live on TNT Sports.
Tom Pearson of Northampton saints drives forward with the ball during the Investec Champions Cup match between Glasgow Warriors and Northampton Saints at Scotstoun Stadium on December 08, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Image credit: Getty Images
Northampton Saints kick-started their Investec Champions Cup campaign with a 28-19 victory over Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun.
On a wet night in Glasgow, the hosts struck first before Saints settled and asserted their dominance.
Glasgow rallied in the second half but it proved too little too late as the Gallagher Premiership side established an early lead at the top of Pool 3 and ended their two-year wait for a Champions Cup win.
Warriors got off to a flying start when Northampton’s Alex Mitchell, who has been in sublime form, threw an intercept to Sebastian Cancelliere.
The Argentinian winger still had it all to do but a stunning turn of pace saw him sail over in the corner to ignite Scotstoun.
But the lead lasted all of nine minutes. Saints hit back in style through Courtney Lawes’ first club try in five years after he powered over the line at the end of a brilliant move.
Fin Smith added the extras and slotted a penalty before turning provider in the 21st minute to put Tommy Freeman over for Northampton’s second try of the game.
Freeman then bagged his second on the half-hour mark after Glasgow’s Scott Cummings was sent to the sin-bin to make it 22-5 at the break.
A couple of Smith penalties kept the scoreboard ticking over for Northampton as Glasgow struggled to find a route back into the game, but Ollie Smith gave the hosts a glimmer of hope with a stunning solo effort in the 68th minute.
A penalty try was then awarded to the Warriors in the 79th minute when Tarek Haffar brought down a driving maul before Cancelliere was bundled into touch at the death as he sought to salvage two losing bonus points.
After just a second loss in almost two years at Scotstoun, Glasgow face Bayonne next week, and Saints welcome Toulon.
In Pool 1, Bordeaux Begles ran in six tries in a thumping 41-5 victory over Connacht on the west coast of Ireland.
Romain Buros and Pablo Uberti both scored twice as the Top 14 side eased to a bonus-point win at the Galway Greyhound Stadium and laid down an early marker.
Damian Penaud also got on the scoresheet with a trademark finish in the corner in the first half after Shamus Hurley-Langton had reduced Connacht’s deficit to two points.
Connacht will look to bounce back next week against Saracens at the StoneX Stadium, while Bordeaux welcome Bristol Bears.
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