Williams scores in Saracens win as Macalou sent off

Williams rejoined Saracens for a second spell in November following his exit from Japanese side Kubota Spears

Investec Champions Cup

Stade Francais (10) 17

Tries: Dakuwaqa, Barre Cons: Henry, Barre Pens: Henry

Saracens (13) 28

Tries: Williams, George, Dan Cons: Burke 2 Pens: Burke 3

Liam Williams marked his second Saracens debut with a try in a bad-tempered Champions Cup tie against a Stade Francais side who had Sekou Macalou sent off.

The French flanker was shown a red card just over midway through the first half by referee Hollie Davidson for swinging an arm into Ivan van Zyl's face - having tripped the scrum-half as he emerged with the ball following a scrum.

That proved the turning point in a Pool Three match that the hosts had led 10-0 before the red card.

Wales back Williams, who rejoined Saracens in November following a spell in Japan, took on a superb long pass over the top from Elliot Daly to score within a couple of minutes, and the visitors reeled in their hosts from there.

Fergus Burke, who converted the try, kicked two of three penalties in the final 10 minutes of the half as Stade Francais' discipline disintegrated.

With the hosts briefly down to 13 after Tanginoa Halaifonua was sin-binned for a high tackle on Rotimi Segun, Jamie George forced his way over following a rolling maul from his own line-out to extend the lead, and another Burke penalty put them in command.

It was quite the turnaround after Stade Francais had started so positively - Macalou charging down an early Daly kick and sparking a spell of pressure from which Peniasi Dakuwaqa scored in the corner from Zack Henry's pass.

When Henry added the conversion and then a penalty - awarded after Marco Riccioni was judged to have collapsed the scrum - Saracens looked in trouble.

The exit of Macalou changed that, although Leo Barre glided through from close in for a try that lifted home spirits.

With the hosts down to 13 again after Hugo N'Diaye was sin-binned, Theo Dan drove over for a third Saracens try - ensuring a second win from their opening two pool matches.

There was a setback for Saracens in the late stages as lock Nick Isiekwe suffered a nasty blow to the head as he was caught accidentally by the hip of Paul Gabrillagues, and was treated on the pitch for several minutes, but was able to get to his feet and walk off.

Indiscipline costs Stade Francais dear

Referee Hollie Davidson showed a red card to Sekou Macalou after he swung an arm at Ivan van Zyl's head

In his pre-match television interview, Stade Francais head coach Paul Gustard described how "four minutes of craziness" had cost his team dearly away to Munster last weekend - with two players sent off in quick succession early in the second half of a 33-7 defeat.

Watching on from the sidelines as his team attempted to bounce back from that gruelling experience, Gustard could have been forgiven for thinking: "Oh no, not again."

For 20 minutes, his team followed the gameplan more or less to perfection. Henry kicked to gain ground when the opportunity was there, the hosts turned up the pressure, and Saracens looked uncomfortable.

And then Macalou lost his head, and everything changed.

The flanker's trip on Van Zyl as he came out of the scrum would have earned him a visit to the sin-bin anyway. Following it up by throwing his arm into the tumbling scrum-half's face was inexplicable. Referee Davidson consulted television match official Mike Adamson before passing sentence, but the evidence was overwhelming.

There was more indiscipline to come. A high tackle by flanker Ryan Chapuis on Burke had George shouting to Davidson: "That's just as bad."

A penalty was sufficient punishment there, but Stade Francais might well have seen another red four minutes into the second half, when lock Halaifonua committed a high tackle, his shoulder going into the head of Segun.

In consultation with Adamson, referee Davidson ruled a sudden step by Segun was enough to downgrade the offence from red to yellow - sending Halaifonua to the sin-bin. Late on, N'Diaye was also shown yellow after Stade Francais had collapsed one scrum too many.

The misbehaviour was not entirely restricted to the hosts, though - Saracens prop Rhys Carre couldn't, and didn't, complain about his sin-binning, as a hand-off on Lucas Peyresblanques became an elbow to the neck. And the visitors later received a warning from Davidson for the rising penalty count against them.

Carre's exit gave the hosts a brief spell at playing 14 against 14 once Halaifonua returned - although Saracens were back to full numbers by the time Barre scored, and had a two-man advantage when Dan went over.

Line-ups

Stade Francais: Barre; Dakuwaqa, Marchant, Ward, Laloi; Henry, Weber; Castets, Nicotera, P Alo-Emile, Gabrillagues (c), Halaifonua, Macalou, Chapuis, Scelzo

Replacements: Peyresblanques, M Alo-Emile, N'Diaye, Turagacoke, Timo, Tanga, Foursans-Bourdette, Ezeala

Saracens: Daly; Williams, Cinti, Tompkins, Segun; Burke, Van Zyl; Carre, George, Riccioni, Itoje (c), Isiekwe, McFarland, Earl, Willis

Replacements: Dan, Brantingham, Clarey, Wilson, Gonzalez, Simpson, Eden, Hartley

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)