Connacht fall to defeat against dominant Stormers in opening match

The expectation surrounding Connacht as Stuart Lancaster heads into his second season in charge was not matched by the performance on the field and they were punished by a Stormers side who wore them down with a dominant pack.

It was a bitterly disappointing performance on a night when they honoured the players who won the PRO12 title in 2016, many of those players and head coach Pat Lam back at the Sportsground for the first time since the €40m redevelopment of the ground.