Heineken Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers earn dramatic last-gasp 29-28 win over Connacht

Tigers' Jarrad Butler is tackled by Connacht fly-half Jack Carty

A last-gasp try from Hosea Saumaki saw Leicester Tigers come from 18 points behind to earn a dramatic 29-28 win over Connacht in the Champions Cup.

The Tigers' third win from three games sees them qualify for the last 16.

Connacht recovered from 10-0 down to lead 14-10 at half-time and the hosts extended their lead to 28-10 but Tigers fought back in an ill-tempered affair.

Kini Murimurivalu scored two of Tigers' five tries, Tiernan O'Halloran crossing for two of Connacht's four touchdowns.

• Connacht's Aki apologises for confronting referee after game

Both sides collected try-scoring bonus points and Connacht a losing bonus point from a pulsating encounter in Galway and Leicester move second in Pool B of the competition, level on points with leaders Harlequins.

Steve Borthwick's side beat Connacht 29-23 when the sides met at Welford Road in their Pool B encounter last month but came into the game at the Sportsground after suffering their first defeat of the season at the hands of Wasps last weekend.

In contrast, the Irish province were on a high following their URC derby victory over Munster on New Year's Day.

Leicester prop Joe Heyes rumbled over from a powerful maul for the opening try in the third minute, with Freddie Burns unable to add the extra two points.

Seven minutes later the visitors put together a fine flowing move and wing Murimurivalu did not have to break stride to collect Burns' cross field kick before diving over in the corner. Burns hit the upright with his conversion attempt.

Jack Carty missed with a relatively straightforward looking penalty opportunity but two Connacht tries ensured they went into half-time with a four-point advantage, with the home fly-half converting both.

On 17 minutes, a rumbling maul laid the foundations and the ball was slipped back inside for O'Halloran to skip over under the posts.

The Irish province then built the phases close to the Leicester line and Cian Prendergast raced through to breach the Leicester rearguard to score after Bundee Aki had executed a beautifully disguised offload to the flanker.

Second-half drama in Galway

Connacht continued to dominate after the break and moments after Tommy Reffell had received a yellow card for offside, Kieran Marmion found a gap in his opponents' defence and dotted down.

The home side's bonus point was soon secured by O'Halloran's try, the full-back finishing off a brilliant flowing backs move off a scrum, Carty converting both those early second-half scores.

But the Premiership pacesetters fought back in the 55th minute as Fijian Murimurivalu finished off a length-of-the-field move after Jesper Wiese had won the turnover deep in his own half.

Seven minutes from time replacement hooker Charlie Clare barged over at the back of a trundling maul for his side's fourth try, Burns' additional two points reducing Tigers' deficit to four points.

A tetchy encounter came to a dramatic conclusion in the final minute as Saumaki shrugged off the tackle of John Porch to go over for Leicester, referee Mathieu Raynal awarding the try when he decided that the Tongan's foot was not in touch after viewing replays.

Connacht: O'Halloran, Porch, Arnold, Aki, Healy, Carty (capt), Marmion, Burke, Delahunt, Bealham, Dowling, Murray, Prendergast, Oliver, Butler.

Replacements: Heffernan, Tuimauga, Aungier, Dillane, Boyle, Blade, Fitzgerald, Farrell.

Leicester Tigers: Hegarty, Steward, Scott, Socino, Murimurivalu, Burns, Wigglesworth, Genge (capt), Dolly, Heyes, Wells, Green, Chessum, Reffell, Wiese.

Replacements: Clare, Whitcombe, Leatigaga, Manz, van Wyk, van Poortvlietc, Kelly, Saumaki.