Townsend: ‘We switched it off after half-time’

GREGOR Townsend confessed he switched off halfway through Racing 92’s Champions Cup clash against Munster after realising the French outfit would be doing Glasgow no favours.

The Warriors head coach took time out of preparing for Saturday night’s 29-15 Guinness PRO12 win over Cardiff to cast an eye over his side’s European rivals.

He was hoping Top 14 winners Racing would boost Glasgow’s bid to top Pool 1 by shooting down the group leaders.

However, with Racing’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals stubbed out following three straight defeats, the Parisians sent out a much-changed side and found themselves 25 points down by the break, eventually slumping to a 32-7 home defeat.

However, Townsend refused to point a finger of blame at last year’s beaten finalists. He said: “We watched it and switched it off after half-time when the result was a foregone conclusion.

“Munster played well. Racing were out of the tournament. They chose to mix up their team and there was only one team that dominated the game.

“The tournament is what it is. You have to play the opposition you’re up against. We played Racing twice at the beginning and that’s just the way it is. We played really well to win both those games.”

After going fourth in the PRO12 table with their bonus-point win over Blues, Glasgow can turn their attention to this month’s pivotal European double header against Munster and Leicester, which will determine if they make the last eight.

“We’ll just have to play really well to beat them,” added Townsend. “Our destiny is still in our hands.”