Glasgow Warriors Commanding in Four-Try Victory at Sale Sharks in Champions Cup First Round

The Scottish side began their European journey in ideal fashion with a valuable four-try away victory against Sale.

Taking advantage of the wind at their backs, Sale started strongly and built a fourteen-point advantage within 20 minutes. Tries from the Sale skipper and teenage debutant Ollie Davies put them in command.

But, Glasgow responded well with a pair of scores prior to half-time. Forward Hiddleston and back-rower Darge both crossed to narrow the gap.

Additional after the break scores from Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall extended the Warriors' lead to twelve points. A late reply for the hosts promised a nervous finale, but the visitors stood strong to secure a significant opening victory.

Glasgow Take Control After Half-Time

Play began with a bang as skipper Van Rhyn drove over from short distance after just two minutes. An early knock to midfielder Rekeiti Ma'asi-White introduced teenager Ollie Davies into the fray for his European debut.

The youngster made an instant impact. Moving to fly-half, he ran a smart support line to take an pass and touch down, extending Sale's advantage.

Facing challenging conditions, Glasgow turned to their forward power to get back into the game. A strong line-out drive was touched down by front-rower Gregor Hiddleston. Prior to the half, Rory Darge forced his way over, with Adam Hastings' kick making it a narrow deficit at half-time.

Glasgow took the lead for the first time early in the second half. A misjudged kick was collected by No. 8 Dempsey, who fed captain Steyn to burst through a tackle and sprint to the line.

With in the driving seat, they secured the bonus point when Stafford McDowall powered past a defender to score his century for the team. That score completed a run of twenty-six unanswered points.

Sale gave themselves a late hope when Louw used neat skills to score. The conversion made it a one-score game with minutes remaining.

A final opportunity came for them from a throw in the 22, but they lost the ball, confirming Glasgow's victory.

What's Next?

Sale Sharks must bounce back ahead of a trip to face Clermont this weekend. In contrast, Glasgow Warriors will welcome six-time winners Toulouse to their home ground.

The two sides are placed in a competitive Pool One that also features the English side and Durban-based outfit the Hollywoodbets Sharks.

Line-ups

Sale Sharks: Reed; O'Flaherty, Ma'asi-White, Louw, Wills; Du Preez, Quirke; McIntyre, Jibulu, John, Burrow, Bamber, Vermeulen, Van Rhyn, T Curry.
Replacements: Caine, Onasanya, Harper, Andrews, B Curry, Warr, Davies, Wehr.

Glasgow Warriors: McKay; Steyn, McDowall, Tuipulotu, Smith; Hastings, Horne; McBeth, Hiddleston, Z Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Stephen, Sutherland, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Miller, Dobie, Lancaster.

Match Officials

Referee: Pierre Brousset (French).
Assistant Referees: Vincent Blasco Baque (France) and Julien Caulier (France).
TMO: Tual Trainini (France).