Northampton claim sole English victory in Champions Cup opening round
Northampton Saints became the only English club to win their opening match in the 2026‑27 Champions Cup, edging Cardiff Rugby 28‑12 at Franklin’s Gardens. The Saints, who reached the quarter‑finals last season, recorded four tries through James Pater, Toby Thame, George Hendy and Fraser Dingwall, while Cardiff’s scores came from Harri Millard and Mason Grady. Northampton missed out on a bonus point, finishing with three conversions from James Pater and a single penalty from Anthony Belleau, who was later sin‑binned.
The English champions led 14‑0 at the break, a lead built on solid play in slippery conditions. Pater opened the scoring with a supportive run, and Thame added a second try twenty minutes in. Both teams suffered knock‑ons near the line as the pitch remained treacherous, leaving the half‑time score at 14‑0.
Cardiff responded early in the second half when Millard broke through in the 22 and held firm, limiting Northampton’s handling errors. The Welsh side narrowed the gap to 14‑12 after a sin‑bin for Belleau and a swift pass from Jarrod Evans that allowed Grady to touch down. The Saints regained momentum when Hendy collected a loose ball, juked past defenders and scored, with Pater converting. Later, Dingwall sprinted down the wing to finish the scoring in the 78th minute.
The match concluded without the fifth try Northampton needed for a five‑point bonus. The win came after a difficult opening weekend for English clubs, during which Gloucester were held to a draw by Bordeaux‑Begles and six other Premiership sides suffered defeats.
Cardiff returned to the top tier of European competition after two seasons in the Challenge Cup, but faced a tight five‑day turnaround to a United Rugby Championship game against the Sharks at Cardiff Arms Park. This forced the Welsh side to rest several key players, although they gave season debuts to Wales and Lions internationals Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams after injury.
Northampton also rotated their squad ahead of a short trip to Leicester on Saturday, but managed to secure the win. The Saints will travel to Stade Français in December, then face Montpellier in January before completing the group stage at home against the Bulls. Cardiff’s upcoming fixtures include a home game against Bath in December and two matches in France in January, at Stade Français and Montpellier.
Northampton line‑up: James Pater; Tom Sleightholme, Charlie Hutchinson, Toby Thame, George Hendy; Anthony Belleau, Sam Mitchell; Marco Fischetti, Jack Smith, James Kundiona, Sam Lockett, Ruan van der Mescht, Kieran Kemeny, Ben Taylor, Callum Chick. Replacements: Ben Langdon, Tom Els, Mihai Neculai, James Prowse, Alex Ulcoq, Dan McParland, Sam Smith, Fraser Dingwall. Belleau received a yellow card in the 60th minute.
Cardiff line‑up: James Young; Mason Grady, Harri Millard, Sam Emanuel, Sam Bowen; Jarrod Evans, Tom Mulder; Sam Southworth, D. Hughes (captain), Jack Wainwright, Tom Manz, Tom Thornton, Sione Paea, D. Thomas, Taulupe Faletau. Replacements: E. Lloyd, Tom Barratt, Tom Cowell, Conor McNally, Diego de la Rua, S. Davies, Sam Sheedy, Josh Adams.
The match was officiated by French referee Jeremy Rozier, assisted by Thomas Charabas and Cyrille Boulay, with Julien Castaignede serving as TMO.