Glasgow Warriors 28-3 Saracens

Three tries in the first half courtesy of Ollie Smith, Kyle Steyn and George Horne – the latter adding Investec Player of the Match honours to his 150^th appearance for the club – were added to by Seb Stephen in the final play of the match, as Franco Smith’s squad continued their unbeaten run in Europe’s premier club competition.

With a sold-out Scotstoun in full voice, the Warriors wasted no time in establishing themselves on the front-foot. The early momentum was turned into points with 10 minutes on the clock, Alex Craig sparking the attack by thundering through a gap and racing fully 30 metres into the Saracens 22. The home side then showed superb patience to work their way through the phases, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones eventually combining to send Smith racing over the whitewash for the score. Horne made no mistake with the extras, and the Warriors led 7-0.

Owen Farrell would reduce the arrears on 14 minutes, the Saracens centre slotting a penalty after referee Luc Ramos penalised the Warriors for offside inside their own 22. Yet undeterred, the home side went straight back on the attack. Only a well-timed interception from Lucio Cinti stopped the Warriors from adding to their try tally moments after Farrell’s penalty, whilst it took an illegal intervention from Juan Martin Gonzalez to halt Horne’s scintillating solo burst for the line. Gonzalez was shown a yellow card for his troubles, as the volume inside Scotstoun rose another notch.

Glasgow’s attack was stretching the Saracens defence to breaking point, and their attacking endeavour was eventually rewarded with a second try with 28 minutes on the clock. Strong carrying from the pack once more gave the Warriors the platform, before Horne’s sublime inside ball found a rampaging Steyn. The winger was never going to be stopped as he hared under the posts from the Saracens 22, Horne adding the conversion to give the hosts a 14-3 advantage.

A third try of the night was to follow as Gonzalez waited to return to the field, and it went to a familiar source. Tuipulotu’s short ball allowed Jack Dempsey to shrug off the attempted tackle of Theo MacFarland, drawing the last man before sending the supporting Horne under the posts to the delight of the Warrior Nation. The scrum-half converted for good measure, and the hosts led 21-3.

Saracens were in no mood to go quietly, the three-time European champions turning on the attack in the closing stages as they launched themselves at the Glasgow try-line. Yet time and again the Warriors held firm, a try-saving tackle from Horne denying Ivan van Zyl, before Dempsey and Gregor Hiddleston combined to win a crucial turnover to bring up the half-time interval.

Knowing that the next score was likely to be vital, the visitors continued to throw everything at their hosts as the second-half commenced, as they looked for a foothold back into proceedings. Once more, however, the Warriors held firm, the pack holding up their counterparts at the maul to earn a turnover that was roared to the rafters by the Scotstoun faithful.

Even when reduced to 14 men after the officials deemed a tackle from Kyle Rowe to be high, the Warriors never wavered in their defensive resolve. Horne found himself at the heart of a breakdown to win a turnover from his opposite number van Zyl, whilst Gregor Brown’s energy off the bench ensured the Glasgow pack retained their edge.

Instead, it was the Glasgow attack that had the final – roof-raising – word under the Sunday night floodlights. With the bonus-point in their sights, the Warriors went to work. Time and again the Saracens defence was stretched to its limits, until the pressure eventually told. Stephen was the man to steer a 13-man maul over the whitewash to a cacophony of noise from a sold-out Scotstoun, Dan Lancaster adding the extras to apply the coup de grace on a famous night in Glasgow’s west end.

The final whistle sounded to confirm what the Scotstoun faithful already knew, the Warriors finishing with a maximum 20 points from their four pool stage matches to top Pool One, a feat achieved for the first time in the club’s history. Home advantage secured for the knockout stages – and the Warrior Nation are ready to follow every step of the way.