Stade Francais 45-35 Northampton Saints, Stade Jean Bouin
Northampton Saints' unbeaten run in the Investec Champions Cup pool stages came to an end with a 45-35 defeat to Stade Français at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris.
Despite a lightning-fast start and a 21-0 lead within the first 17 minutes, the Saints were overpowered by the French side's second-half surge.
The Saints began the match with a commanding performance, racing to a 21-0 lead. Tom Lockett opened the scoring after Northampton’s sustained momentum earned them a lineout inside Stade’s 22.
Henry Pollock followed with a brace of tries, showcasing his skill with a combination of power and individual brilliance, including a stripped ball and a sprint from halfway for his second score.
Rory Hutchinson, stepping in as fly-half for the injured Fin Smith, converted all three tries to give Saints a comfortable early advantage.
Stade Français clawed back into contention in the second quarter. Peni Dakuwaqa’s try on the right wing started the comeback before JJ van der Mesch capitalized on a charged-down kick to race under the posts. No. 8 Yoan Tanga then added another for Stade, finishing off a driving maul just before halftime.
With the score narrowed to 21-19, the French side carried their momentum into the second half.
Saints briefly extended their lead through Henry Walker, who crossed the line after a reload in Stade’s 22. However, Stade Français quickly leveled the game with a penalty try from a dominant driving maul, which also saw Saints' Alex Mitchell sin-binned for his actions.
Using their numerical advantage, Stade moved the ball quickly to send Samuel Ezeala through a gap before Tanga secured his second try, stretching Stade’s lead to 38-28.
A yellow card to Saints captain Josh Kemeny for a late tackle further hurt Northampton's chances, and Paul Gabrillagues guided another maul over the line to secure a 17-point lead for the hosts.
Curtis Langdon scored from a rolling maul to close the gap, with Hutchinson adding the extras. Despite their efforts, Saints left it too late to find another try and missed out on salvaging a second bonus point.
The loss ends Saints' unbeaten pool-stage streak but keeps them in contention for progression. They will need to regroup quickly for their next Champions Cup fixture as Stade Français celebrates a statement victory on home turf.
Team line up:
Stade Francais: Jonas; Dakuwaqa, Ezeala, Delbouis, Etien; Henry, Foursans-Bourdette; Alo-Emile, Nicotera, Gomez Kodela, Gabrillagues (capt), Van der Mescht, Halaifonua, Briatte, Tanga.
Reserves: Garcia Albo, Koffi, N'Diaye, Macalou, Pesenti, Weber, Carbonel, Marchant.
Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Litchfield, Savala, Seabrook; Hutchinson, Mitchell; Haffar, Walker, Davison, Prowse, Lockett, Kemeny (capt), Scott-Young, Pollock.
Reserves: Langdon, West, Green, Hunter-Hill, Brown, Pearson, McParland, Makepeace-Cubitt.