Glasgow Warriors 35 – Bulls 21

WILL THE REAL GLASGOW WARRIORS PLEASE STAND UP?

This was one of those great Scotstoun nights. A victory built on sheer bloody-minded brutality with a sprinkle of gallus.  

Before the 22/23 URC campaign kicked off in earnest, Franco Smith spoke at length about the need to make Scotstoun an uncomfortable place for teams to visit. Get it right at home, then you have a foundation to build upon. 

In both home fixtures this season, Glasgow have reached heights not seen since the heady days of Dave Rennie, and whilst the game against Cardiff was a real boost to the spirits of a flagging Glasgow support, this weekend’s rousing defeat of a powerful Bulls team is pure Sunny D right into the veins. 

If Glasgow can just work out how to take some of that home form on the road, this might not be the rebuilding season Glasgow fans expected.

Within 10 minutes of kick-off, Glasgow were already 2 tries to the good.  Matt Fagerson finished off from close range after some powerful sustained pressure from the forwards and then four minutes later, Cancilliere was galloping in unopposed following a magnificent step from Tuipolotu, great hands from Gray and a perfectly timed pass from Fraser Brown. 

George Horne slotted both conversions to put Glasgow 14 points up after just 12 minutes.

Glasgow looked to consolidate the early lead and physically dominate a Bulls team that was starting to look a bit lost, but the Bulls managed to find a lifeline with an opportunistic score from Arendse on 18 minutes following a fumble by Horne when pressured in possession at a breakdown.  

A Smith conversion reduced the deficit to 7, but Glasgow were in no mood to slow down and another series of attritional phases in the Bulls 22 saw Cummings smash over from short range for Glasgow’s third try, with Horne once again adding the extras. 

Some of the ruck clearances in the first quarter made it clear to Bulls that pickings were going to be very slim for them around the breakdown.  Glasgow’s maul defence was dogged and determined, and their counter-rucking was a revelation.  Forwards were handling like backs, backs were rucking like forwards and Tommy Seymour was on comms – what a night!  By now, the East stand was in full voice looking for the bonus point and they had to be patient, but when it came it was a moment of individual brilliance worth waiting for. 

Glasgow were on halfway, launching their big ball carriers into an increasingly stressed Bulls defence.  The Bulls ability to organise around the ruck had been compromised, and Horne took full advantage throwing a dummy and then scooting through the space and hitting the afterburners.  The speed of his break caught out the Glasgow players almost as much as the Bulls, so if he was going to score he’d have to do it himself, and he duly obliged. The Bulls scrambled and almost managed to haul him down short of the line, but Horne got an arm free and placed the ball on the line.  Bonus point celebrations followed after a brief TMO review.  Glasgow went in at halftime with a healthy 28-7 lead.         

As the rain continued to fall at Scotstoun, the second half was always likely to be a little less swashbuckling, but there was no let-up in intensity from a Glasgow team determined to play rugby.  After some impressive work from the forwards, the ball went blind to Cancilliere who made 20 yards, then offloaded one-handed to Josh MacKay on an inside supporting line.  After a tough injury spell for MacKay, his joy at getting on the scoresheet on his first game back was clear.  Horne converted to put Glasgow 35-7 ahead after 48 minutes.

Both Horne and Louw were yellow-carded on 54 minutes for testing Andrew Brace’s patience. On replay it looked a bit harsh on Horne, but as he’d been yipping away all night like an excited spaniel, Brace was probably just glad to get a 10-minute respite.  The cards initiated a number of substitutions for both teams, and it was one of these subs, the veteran Du Plessis, that started a mini-revival for the Bulls as he went over from close range on 58 minutes following a period of sustained pressure on the Glasgow line.

At this stage, you could perhaps have forgiven the Scotstoun faithful for feeling a little apprehensive.  Collapses in the final quarter seemed to become a feature of Glasgow under the previous regime, however, those fears were unfounded as Glasgow tightened up and continued to physically take the game to the Bulls. The Glasgow replacements stuck to the script, Manjezi and Turner in particular carrying ball hard and tackling anything that moved.

Glasgow held out until a final consolation score for the Bulls by Swanepol on the 79^th minute, but that did nothing to take the smile off the faces of players and supporters at the final whistle.  Glasgow 35 – 21 Bulls

Glasgow now head off on the South Africa loop where they face the Sharks and Lions.  If they’re to have any hope of taking something from those games, then the physicality they found against the Bulls needs to be the new normal. Fans won’t see them back at Scotstoun until the visit of Benetton under Friday night lights on 28^th October, but which time the squad will be missing Scotland players involved in the first of the Autumn internationals.