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Glasgow Warriors' Stafford McDowall runs through to score his side's fourth try during the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Vodacom Bulls at Scotstoun Stadium. | SNS GroupFranco Smith’s side seal quarter-final against Toulon
Glasgow Warriors’ bravery and their desire to play rugby the right way was rewarded as they withstood a mighty challenge from the Bulls to reach the quarter-finals of the Investec Champions Cup.
This was their first knockout game of the season but they refused to deviate from their philosophy of turning down kickable penalties in favour of going for tries. By contrast, the Bulls, with Handre Pollard at 10, went the opposite way and led 14-12 at the break, largely thanks to three penalties from the visiting fly-half.
But Glasgow’s attacking instincts paid off and they scored two tries in each half to win 25-21. They will now host Toulon in the last eight at Scotstoun next weekend.
Glasgow Warriors' Stafford McDowall runs through to score his side's fourth try during the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Vodacom Bulls at Scotstoun Stadium. | SNS GroupStafford McDowall was deservedly named player of the match. Preferred to Huw Jones at outside centre, he scored Glasgow’s final try of the night. Max Williamson and Jack Dempsey got the ball rolling for the Warriors with first-half tries and there were also a score for Patrick Schickerling. Dan Lancaster converted one on a night when Storm Dave made kicking difficult. Adam Hastings landed a late, late penalty to seal the win.
The Bulls’s points came from tries from Johann Grobbelaar and Marco van Staden, Pollard’s three penalties and a conversion by David Kriel.
No question of taking the easy three points
The Bulls had the wind behind them in the first half and made the early running. The conditions were difficult and Zander Fagerson, in his first match since the Six Nations, knocked on after only 30 seconds. Glasgow were able to clear the danger but there was no doubting the Bulls’ intent.
Canan Moodie put McDowall on the floor with a huge hit and Gerhard Steenekamp did the same to Rory Darge. Kurt-Lee Arendse caused some problems after charging down an Ollie Smith kick but McDowall showed up well to deal with the danger.
But it was the Bulls who held the upper hand in the opening skirmishes and Pollard kicked his first penalty in the 11th minute after Glasgow were off their feet.
It was the jolt the Warriors needed. From the restart, they took the game to the visitors, and when the Bulls conceded a couple of penalties there was no question of Glasgow taking the easy three points. Tries were what they were after and they kicked to the corner.
It looked to have backfired after the Bulls stole their lineout but they recovered and McDowall stepped inside and broke from halfway. The ball went loose and Matt Fagerson took it on, feeding George Horne who looked set to score until Johann Grobbelaar’s last-ditch tackle. The ever-alert Horne was able to get the offload away for the supporting Williamson to score, his second try in consecutive weeks. Dan Lancaster’s conversion made it 7-3 to the hosts.
Kriel’s brilliant pass
The Bulls are only of only four teams to have won at Scotstoun during Smith’s reign and they got their noses back in front eight minutes later. Grobbelaar finished off the move in the corner but the bulk of the credit should go to David Kriel for his brilliant blind pass over his shoulder as he was being tackled.
Pollard couldn’t land the conversion from out wide but knocked over his second penalty soon after to increase the Bulls’ lead to 11-7.
For the second time in the match, the South African side failed to deal with the restart and Glasgow made the most of it. Another penalty, and another kick to the corner allowed them to set up the driving maul and Jack Dempsey was able to peel away and score.
Patrick Schickerling (centre) celebrates scoring Glasgow's third try during the Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 win over Vodacom Bulls. | SNS GroupLancaster couldn’t convert but the Warriors had regained the lead. However, they had also lost Horne to what looked like an ankle injury and their hopes of going into the break ahead were punctured by Pollard who kicked his third penalty of the night from just inside the Glasgow half to nudge the Bulls ahead 14-12.
The half ended with another thumping tackle by Moodie on McDowall which saw the Glasgow centre lifted and dumped on the ground. The home supporters didn’t like it but referee Pierre Brousset deemed it legitimate.
McDowall’s mighty boot
The decision to pick McDowall over Huw Jones was partly due to Franco Smith’s belief that the former’s mighty left boot could be a big asset in the conditions. He unleashed to good effect early in the second half, turning defence into attack as the ball spun devilishly into the Bulls 22. The crowd loved it and so did McDowall who turned to the stand and implored them to make even more noise.
The game was crackling along nicely and Glasgow were pushing to regain the lead. They did so through Schickerling and it was a reward for trusting their attacking instincts. Awarded a penalty close to the Bulls line, they again eschewed the easy three points. Instead, they went for a short tap and moved the ball wide. Off the second phase, Schickerling drove his way over with the help of Gregor Hiddleston for a cleverly worked score.
Lancaster couldn’t add the extras but the Warriors now held a 17-14 advantage as the final quarter loomed.
It was an eagerly contested match to say the least and tempers boiled over when Ollie Smith was tackled into touch and not released. Captain Kyle Steyn was in the thick of it and when the dust settled Glasgow had the penalty which led indirectly to their fourth try, and it was the best of the night.
The Warriors build the phases but when Euan Ferrie slung the ball out the back it was the cue for a quick Glasgow passing move as the ball was moved out the line from Lancaster to Tuipulotu to McKay for McDowall to score in the corner. The centre had been excellent all night and this was just reward.
Glasgow’s lead was now eight points but the Bulls weren’t done and Marco van Staden squeezed his way over from close range with four minutes remaining. David Kriel, a transfer target for Glasgow earlier in the season, converted to reduce the lead to a point.
The home side didn’t panic and a stirring run from McKay took them deep into the Bulls 22. There was no way back for South Africans. They killed the ball at the ruck and had Elrigh Louw yellow-carded. This time Glasgow did opt to kick the penalty but not until the clock had ticked past the 80-minute mark. Adam Hastings, a late sub, kicked it from in front of the posts and raised his right arm in triumph.
Scorers: Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Williamson, Dempsey, Schickerling, McDowall. Con: Lancaster. Pen: Hastings. Bulls: Tries: Grobbelaar, van Staden. Con: Kriel. Pens: Pollard 3.
Yellow card: Elrigh Louw (Bulls, 79)
Glasgow Warriors: 15. J McKay; 14. K Steyn (c), 13. S McDowall, 12. S Tuipulotu, 11. O Smith; 10. D Lancaster (23. A Hastings 76), 9. G Horne (22. B Afshar 33); 1. P Schickerling (17. J Bhatti 67), 2. G Hiddleston (16. S Stephen 67), 3. Z Fagerson ( 18. S Talakai 67), 4. M Williamson (20. E Ferrie 51), 5. A Samuel, 6. M Fagerson, 7. R Darge (21. A Fraser 72), 8. J Dempsey. Replacement not used: 19. J Oguntibeju.
Vodacom Bulls: 15. D Kriel; 14. C Jooste, 13. C Moodie, 12. H Vorster, 11. K-L Arendse (22. Stedman Gans h-t); 10. Handre Pollard (23. Willie le Roux 73), 9. Embrose Papier (21. Zak Burger 73); 1. Gerhard Steenekamp (17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels 67), 2. Johann Grobbelaar, 3. Francois Klopper (18. Mornay Smith 67), 4. Ruan Vermaak (19. Cobus Wiese 69), 5. Ruan Nortje, 6. Marcell Coetzee (16. Marco van Staden 61), 7. Elrigh Louw, 8. Cameron Hanekom (20. Jeandre Rudolph 50).
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra).