Rennie risking European Cup exit

Wallabies-bound Kiwi coach Dave Rennie’s Glasgow Warriors club faces elimination from the European Champions Cup after a costly home defeat to Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle.

The French club edged Glasgow 12-7 in a pool game at the weekend after Warriors forward Matt Fagerson was sent off for elbowing an opponent before Scott Cummings dotted down for a try in the final minute of the match.

Rennie – yet to win a title in Europe in three seasons with Glasgow – is not giving up hope yet, but he told BBC Sport the Scots would need to beat English highflyers Exeter Chiefs and Sale with bonus points to advance to the quarterfinals.

‘‘The way a couple of groups are looking you’re going to need some big numbers to get through if you don’t win your pool. Probably 19 [points] or so. It’s not terminal but it’s tougher from here,’’ said Rennie, who will leave Glasgow at the end of the European season to take over as the Wallabies head coach.

‘‘We had all the ball and all the territory in the second half and couldn’t get over the line.

‘‘Some of it was decision-making and a bit of patience. They constantly infringed down there. We had plenty of chances to put them away, we just need to be more accurate.’’

Glasgow – who Rennie guided to a defeat to Leinster in last season’s Pro 14 final – are still second in Pool 2, 10 points behind Leinster, but just three ahead of Sale.

Meanwhile, Chris Boyd’s Northampton Saints were brought back to earth with a second successive drubbing by European champions Leinster.

Northampton lead the English premiership with the Saints earning rave headlines with an attacking style championed by Boyd.

But they conceded seven tries for a second consecutive week, losing 50-21 in Dublin. Boyd admitted after the game that Northampton ‘‘just weren’t good enough’’.