Glasgow vs Bulls match report

There was heartbreak for the Bulls yet again at the hands of their nemesis side, the Glasgow Warriors, who beat them 25-21 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.

Like the Stormers in the earlier game in Toulon, the Bulls looked well placed to manufacture an upset but just could not get over the line.

The game kicked off in awful conditions, with rain lashing the Scotstoun stadium and driving winds making handling and kicking challenging.

The opening 10 minutes were all the Bulls and Glasgow were lucky to get away with, conceding just three points via a Handre Pollard penalty.

But the Warriors are not unbeaten in 11 games at Scotstoun for nothing — they shook off the pressure from the Bulls and rampaged up field from the restart for lock Max Williams to crash over.

The Bulls retaliated with an excellent passage of play off a lineout, which culminated in hooker Johan Grobbelaar diving over at the corner flag. Pollard missed the conversion to leave the Bulls in front at 8-7, but shortly after nudged over a penalty in front of the posts.

In a coach killer for Johan Ackermann, the Bulls went offside at the restart to give Glasgow a good attacking opportunity. They needed no second invitation, and No 8 Jack Dempsey scored off the back of a maul.

The conversion attempt went wide to keep it a one-point game at 12-11 to the home team.

It was the turn of Glasgow and Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu to make a silly disciplinary error, and Pollard coolly kicked the Bulls into a 14-12 halftime lead.

In what is becoming a trend, the Bulls were suspect under the high ball from restarts, and loose forwards Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom clumsily spilt the ball to give territory and momentum to the Warriors.

Consequently, from strong territory, the Warriors went over off the back of a lineout drive, with the score going to prop Patrick Schickerling. The conversion went wide for a 17-14 lead to the Warriors with just over a quarter of the match to go.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, the Bulls could not get their hands on the ball as the Warriors pushed for a score-clinching score.

It came after 15 phases and saw outside centre Stafford McDowall score in the corner. With the conversion sent wide, the home team led 22-14, meaning the Bulls had to score twice in the remaining seven minutes to salvage a win.

Marco van Staden muscled over after a Canan Moodie break, and the conversion made it 22-21 with three minutes to play, but it was game over when Louw was sin-binned under pressure on the Bulls' line, and the penalty kicked over was the last act of the match.

Scorers

Glasgow — Tries: Max Williams, Jack Dempsey, Stafford McDowall. Conversions: Dan Lancaster. Penalties: Adam Hastings (3).

Bulls — Tries: Johan Grobbelaar, Marco van Staden. Penalties: Handre Pollard (3). Conversion: Pollard.