Northampton Saints secured the first victory for English clubs in the opening round of the 2026 Champions Cup, overcoming Cardiff 28-12 at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday evening. The win ended a difficult weekend during which seven other Premiership teams failed to register a victory in Europe’s top club competition.
The match was marked by challenging weather conditions and significant squad rotations. Cardiff, dealing with a five-day turnaround to their next league fixture, rested key players including captain Liam Belcher, Alex Mann, and James Botham. Taulupe Faletau made his first appearance since March off the bench. Northampton also rested several regular starters, such as Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock, Alex Coles, and Emmanuel Ioyoun, with Fin Smith and Fraser Dingwall starting on the bench.
Northampton’s George Hendy was the standout performer, scoring two tries and contributing a crucial try-saving tackle late in the match. His first try came after a well-executed move that saw Alex Mitchell pass inside to James Pater, who crossed for the opening score. Hendy then extended the lead early in the second half and later demonstrated defensive prowess by catching Cardiff’s Josh Adams just short of the line. Fraser Dingwall provided the assist for Hendy’s second try and added a late fourth try to seal the result.
Cardiff showed resilience despite their altered lineup, scoring two tries, including a second-half effort by Harri Millard. Their attempts were hindered by tactical errors and some disallowed scores, one notably ruled out after Television Match Official review due to the ball being dislodged in the tackle. Additionally, fly-half Jarrod Evans missed a key conversion that could have narrowed the scoring gap further.
Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson acknowledged the difficulties faced by both teams, noting the unusual scheduling that left Cardiff with only five days between games was a challenge. He stressed the competitiveness of both the Premiership and the Champions Cup, pointing out that other English teams had also delivered strong performances despite unfavorable results.
The opening weekend saw mixed fortunes for English clubs overall. Gloucester managed a 36-36 draw with titleholders Bordeaux Bègles, while Exeter narrowly lost 43-40 to Toulouse in a closely contested match. Other Premiership teams, including Sale Sharks, Bristol Bears, Saracens, Bath, and Leicester Tigers, suffered defeats.
The new Champions Cup format, which requires teams to outscore opponents by three tries to earn a bonus point, meant Northampton did not secure an additional point despite their four-try tally. The English sides now look to bounce back and improve as the competition progresses, with Northampton aiming to build momentum toward a deeper run in the tournament.