Glasgow Warriors 21-12 Vodacom Bulls

Tries from Sione Tuipulotu and Nathan McBeth, in addition to a penalty try, ensured that it would be the Warriors celebrating as the full-time whistle sounded around the stadium.

With the Friday night lights turned up to the max, the Warriors almost made the perfect start. A superbly delayed pass from Hastings sent Scott Cummings storming through a gap, finding Horne on his shoulder. The scrum-half was foiled only by a high tackle 10 metres out, and from the resulting penalty the home side went to work. Clean lineout ball gave the hosts the platform they desired, before some sublime touches in the midfield from the likes of Gregor Brown and Matt Fagerson kept the ball alive. In the end the Bulls defence eventually snapped, Hastings feeding Tuipulotu on an unstoppable line for the score before adding the extras for a 7-0 lead.

The Bulls were in no mood to give up the fight, however, and responded in kind with 11 minutes on the clock. Clever work from Willie le Roux saw the veteran full-back put Sebastian de Klerk through the defensive line, the winger drawing the last man to send Stravino Jacobs over in the corner. The conversion went astray, leaving the Warriors with a two-point advantage.

Back came the Warriors once more, playing at a tempo that their visitors were struggling to live with. Brown almost turned provider for Tuipulotu’s second, a superb offload sending the centre racing into the Bulls 22. Once again the South African outfit infringed in their defensive scramble, as the Warrior Nation urged their side forward.

Remarkably given the high-octane nature of proceedings, the remainder of the first half would pass without further scoring, as defences took the upper hand. A physical showing in the midfield saw Glasgow’s best chance fall to Josh McKay on the half-break, whilst Keagan Johannes’ penalty attempt from halfway dropped short with the final act of the opening stanza.

The second half began at the same bruising levels of physicality as the first, with both sides looking to strike early. The visitors were first to trouble the scorers, le Roux picking a short line from Embrose Papier’s pass to race over from 10 metres, Johannes converting to put the Bulls in front with 49 minutes played.

Glasgow almost responded in kind just moments after the restart, with McKay wriggling out of the challenge and freeing Hastings and Tuipulotu. Kurt-Lee Arendse’s defensive effort did just about enough to snuff out the latter’s kick in behind, but the Warriors were pressing.

The game was balanced on a knife-edge as the clock ticked into the final quarter, the atmosphere ratcheting up inside Scotstoun as both sides sought a potentially vital score. The Bulls thought they had landed a crucial blow with 61 minutes on the clock as le Roux and Arendse combined from counter-attack possession, only for the Television Match Official to call play back for an earlier knock-on.

That call added further fuel to the Warrior Nation’s fire, and just two minutes later the volume was raised yet further. With the Bulls having transgressed at the breakdown, Hastings directed his side to the corner. The resulting maul was too powerful for the visitors to halt legally, referee Craig Evans awarding a penalty try, sending Francois Klopper to the sin bin, and giving Glasgow a 14-12 lead with 15 minutes to play.

Momentum was with the Warriors, as Franco Smith’s men looked to take press home their advantage. With 10 minutes remaining, they did just that. Another close-range maul took the hosts to within five metres, and whilst Brown was stopped inches short, there was no denying McBeth on the follow-up carry as the prop barged over the whitewash for the score. Hastings added the conversion to take himself beyond the 500-point milestone in Glasgow colours, giving his side a 21-12 advantage.

Smith’s men were now in pursuit of a third bonus-point victory in succession, with the pack exerting their influence over their opposition at every opportunity. Whilst the extra tally would ultimately elude them, the final whistle brought down the curtain on a successful opening block, as the Warriors moved temporarily to the top of the BKT URC standings.