BREXIT FOR WARRIORS
GLASGOW’S EURO MISERY
GLASGOW WARRIORS..22 MONTPELLIER ................ 29
DEFIANT skipper Ryan Wilson insisted gutted Glasgow can still wreck the Euro dream of Montpellier’s rich kids – despite going down to them.
Warriors’ Euro glory quest was consigned to the bin thanks to a double dose of yellow fever.
Dave Rennie’s troops had looked on course to snatch a Champions Cup lifeline when they cruised into a 12-point lead.
But two crazy yellow cards and a penalty try opened up a Scotstoun escape route for the French superstars.
Vern Cotter’s moneybags outfit clinically snatched their chance to keep their campaign alive.
They rattled up 21 unanswered points without reply while the home brigade were down to 14 men to turn the tide.
Frustrated flanker Wilson admitted the Warriors only had themselves to blame.
But he vowed to take revenge on the French giants on their own patch next weekend.
Wilson said: “We are out of the Champions Cup but we still have our pride to play for.
“We will go over there with plenty of motivation – we WILL show up.
“Our problem in this match wasn’t so much the two yellow cards we suffered but our poor overall discipline.
“We gave them far too many penalties at important moments.”
Now Rennie will turn his focus to staying at the head of the Pro14 play-off race.
Warriors made a promising start, punching holes in the visiting defence at frequent intervals.
The early pressure paid off as Finn Russell confidently thumped over a penalty from 35 metres following an offside verdict.
Montpellier’s response was quick and potent.
All Blacks hero Aaron Cruden surged through a midfield gap and freed Kelien Galletier, who barged over in the corner.
Back came the Warriors with immediate effect.
Leo Sarto came in from the wing to centre and darted in under the crossbar to give Russell a simple conversion.
Glasgow’s confidence was underlined when Russell opted for an attacking line-out instead of a likely three points.
And the gamble paid off as hooker George Turner snatched another try – thanks to Russell’s clever back-flip offload.
The stand-off then added the extras from a wide angle.
Turner was back in the spotlight five minutes later for the wrong reason.
He was yellow-carded for an illegal off-the-ball challenge on French legend Louis Picamoles.
It was a huge blow for the hosts in the approach to the interval.
Montpellier capitalised on their numerical advantage as Galletier completed his touchdown double with a solo cruise.
Francois Steyn narrowed the gap to five from dead in front.
Much worse was to come two minutes later.
Ref Matt Carley yellow carded Jonny Gray for deliberately collapsing a maul in the danger zone and handed the French side a penalty try.
It tough for the home side going in at the break.
The frustrated Warriors started the second half at breakneck pace but a spate of basic errors let Montpellier off the hook.
At the other end, only a brave tackle by Ali Price on Fijian man-mountain Nemani Nadolo staved off a certain score.
But the depleted pack had no answer three minutes later as Jacques du Plessis was driven over – Steyn slotting the kick.
However, Glasgow were not finished in the game yet.
A brilliant lob by Russell close to his own line was snapped up by debut boy Huw Jones.
His inside pass to Leonardo Sarto was perfectly delivered and the Italian scooted over.
But the streetwise stars of Montpellier staved off the salvage act with a Steyn penalty.
Veteran Montpellier ace Louis Picamoles said: “This is a huge result for us because we are still alive in the competition.
“We need the same to happen next week but we know Glasgow will come with ambition.”