Sale Sharks 21-26 Glasgow Warriors

A try from Stafford McDowall on his 100^th appearance was one of four for the Scotstoun outfit, joining captain Kyle Steyn, Rory Darge and Gregor Hiddleston on the scoresheet for Franco Smith’s squad.

Playing with a substantial Mancunian wind at their backs, it was the home side that made the breakthrough. An early penalty from Rob du Preez took the Sharks into the Glasgow 22, before Ernst van Rhyn powered over from short range with just two minutes on the clock. Du Preez converted, and the hosts led 7-0.

Undeterred by the early setback, the Warriors duly set about monopolising possession as the game settled into its rhythm. George Horne and Adam Hastings kept play moving at pace, whilst the lineout drive was earning some early rewards in Sale territory.

Against the run of play, however, it would be the Sharks who would strike for a second try as the opening quarter ticked to an end. Ollie Davies found himself in the right place to get on the end of Arron Reed’s half-break, du Preez converting for a 14-0 advantage after 20 minutes.

Glasgow’s endeavour was eventually rewarded with seven minutes to play in the opening period, stretching the Sale defence to breaking point. Great work from Ollie Smith on the chase of his own kick earned the Warriors a penalty, from which hastings directed his team to the corner. The maul would prove too powerful for the hosts to stop, Hiddleston emerging with the ball for Glasgow’s opening try of the European campaign. Hastings was unable to add the extras into the wind, but the Warriors were on the board.

Momentum was now fully with the men in black and blue, and on the stroke of half-time Smith’s men took full advantage. Once more the maul proved the catalyst as the pack earned penalty advantage, before the Fagerson brothers took play to within a handful of metres. Darge was the man to make the crucial final carry, ably assisted by Hiddleston, and Hastings’ conversion made it a two-point ball game at the interval.

With the wind now in their favour, the Warriors wasted no time in making it count, as they duly picked up where they left off. A box-kick that hung in the Salford air caused chaos on the ground, chaos from which skipper Steyn needed no second invitation. The winger was the fastest to react, hurtling through the gears and slicing through the Sharks defence to touch down for the try. Hastings added the extras, and the Warriors led 19-14 with 44 minutes on the clock.

The bonus-point was next on the agenda for Smith’s men, and with 55 minutes played it came via one of the most popular sources of the evening. Clean ball off a lineout 30 metres out allowed Sione Tuipulotu to slip the ball to a charging McDowall, the club’s newest centurion stepping his way around the full-back and diving over next to the posts for the score. Hastings converted, and Glasgow led 26-14.

Urged on by the home faithful, the Sharks knew they needed to strike next. With 15 minutes remaining, they did exactly that, despite the best efforts of their visitors. Marius Louw eventually found the gap close to the line after repeated phases inside the Glasgow 22, du Preez bringing his side back within a score by adding the extras.

Even as the game entered the closing stages, the tempo continued to be kept high. A dummy and step from Smith almost saw the winger free McDowall for a second, whilst Alex Craig produced a well-timed turnover to shut down a burst from Gurshwin Wehr on his Sale debut.

With Sale pressing, the Glasgow bench continued to bring crucial impact. Seb Stephen enjoyed a prominent cameo in both attack and defence, whilst Gregor Brown’s presence in the loose and at the breakdown saw him prove a constant thorn in the side of the Sharks.

Even in the face of a final salvo from the home side, the Glasgow defence held firm. Jamie Dobie was the man to apply the final touch to proceedings, the scrum-half’s boot dispatching the ball into touch to bring down the curtain on a memorable evening, the Warrior Nation raising the volume once more to acclaim their side.

A much-deserved five points, and the perfect way to open a massive month of rugby – Europe’s most successful squad are the next on the agenda for Smith’s squad, as Toulouse visit what promises to be a sold-out Scotstoun next Saturday night.