A real kick in teeth for the Warriors
Last-gasp try from sub Mallinder spells the end of Glasgow’s Champions Cup bid
Glasgow warriors learned the hard way that you cannot give up nine points and win away from home in the European Champions Cup.
gregor Townsend’s men were all but dumped out of the competition in the dying moments at Franklin’s gardens against Northampton — replacement Harry Mallinder collecting a cross-kick knocked down by george North to effectively end the warriors’ hopes of qualifying from Pool Three.
glasgow still have a remote chance of progression if they claim a bonus-point victory against Racing 92 at Rugby Park next weekend but it would require a freakish set of results in the other last-round fixtures.
Finn Russell and stuart Hogg missed the crucial nine points between them, but took 15 from their respective boots — but it was not enough, with Teimana Harrison and Christian Day claiming the other tries for Jim Mallinder’s men.
The chance was there for glasgow, but it was not taken and the devastating last-gasp defeat was painfully reminiscent of scotland’s world Cup quarter-final loss to australia back in october.
with Racing hammering scarlets earlier in the day, both sides went into the match knowing they were fighting for a best-second qualifying slot.
and with only three of those places on offer, the order of the evening was not only a win, but a try-scoring bonus point.
That in mind, both sides played with pace in the early exchanges.
glasgow and scotland full-back Hogg lined up a long penalty attempt within two minutes, but his strike drifted wide of the left post.
Northampton then showed their intent by kicking two consecutive penalties to the corner, instead of taking a shot at goal.
The second yielded a try, the saints’ forwards bundling through the white-shirted glasgow defence and No 8 Harrison eventually flopping over in the corner after some tight phase play.
JJ Hanrahan nailed the wide conversion to confirm a good start for the English and a poor one for the scots.
It got worse when Russell missed a simple penalty attempt from just outside the saints’ 22 to cut the gap a couple of minutes after the try. It was a limp effort for a player of his calibre — glasgow sacrificing six points already in 13 minutes, hardly a blueprint for success.
sick of missing penalties from the tee, glasgow’s next kick went to the corner when Paul Hill dived off his feet at the ruck.
But the warriors knocked on under the posts after moving the ball into midfield following the line-out and the pressure was relieved.
It was head in hands stuff for Townsend, but at least glasgow’s next attack yielded three points from Russell’s boot, although they did miss a good opportunity to claim a try.
with the penalty advantage, Russell sent an errant kick wide to the left wing when a couple of easy passes could have put sean lamont over in the corner.
on a cold evening in Northampton, there was a chilling moment 25 minutes in. saints winger Tom Collins was knocked out while challenging for a high ball. He took an unintentional knee to the head and was stretchered off strapped to an oxygen mask after a fiveminute delay. saints later reported the player appeared to be recovering well.
after the pause, glasgow looked to batter down the Northampton defensive wall. another penalty was kicked to touch and the forwards took the ball through more than a dozen phases before losing it under the sticks again. This time a turnover at the ruck.
The next chance for points was taken, though. Russell knocking over a penalty from 35 metres in front of the posts to reduce the hosts’ lead to 7-6.
It was not the dazzling, all-court game of last season from glasgow in the first half, but more gnarly work from the pack that gave them the lion’s share of possession and territory.
all that time with the ball in the saints’ half was not helping the scots, though, as they could not force a way through.
and as the clock went red for the end of the first 40 minutes, saints nearly made glasgow pay. They set the driving maul having kicked to touch from a penalty but the warriors stood firm and the gap between the sides stayed at a single point at the interval.
Much in the vein of the first half, Russell was wasting opportunities to take points from the tee after the break. He missed another, dropping to the right of the posts this time, taking the tally of points dropped to nine.
He could not miss the next one with his eyes closed, though, the scotland No10 helping glasgow into a two-point lead from in front of the posts and inside the Northampton 22.
That only made the saints angry. and they hit straight back with a powerful try from a driving maul, glasgow unable to stop the gathering momentum and secondrow Day at the bottom of the pile.
with Hanrahan’s conversion missed, it was by no means an insurmountable Northampton lead with 26 minutes still left in the tie.
That lead did not last long, Russell drawing things level with a penalty slightly further back from his last, but still in front of the posts.
a test of the warriors’ character came next with Northampton laying siege to the glasgow line. North and luther Burrell were both within inches of a third try but the scots passed the test, leone Nakarawa winning a vital turnover to save his side.
locked at 12-12, saints came back at glasgow — hitting a penalty to touch five metres from the scottish line. But Mike Haywood, on for Dylan Hartley, overthrew the line-out and, once again, the warriors escaped.
Hogg then had the chance to redeem himself after his early miss and took it. He found the target from 49 metres.
glasgow’s task was made more difficult when substitute lock Tim swinson was yellow-carded for the remainder of the game for punching Haywood.
It then came down to a decision for home captain Tom wood, who took the armband after Hartley was substituted.
with three minutes to go, saints were awarded a kickable penalty but opted to hit the corner.
It provided the killer blow, though. with a penalty advantage for glasgow pulling down the maul, stephen Myler cross-kicked to North on the left wing. Russell tried to intervene but the ball broke fortuitously into the grateful hands of young replacement Mallinder, son of Northampton coach Jim, who only had to catch and fall over the line.
Myler hit the conversion and glasgow were left staring at the prospect of an 18th consecutive failure to reach the quarter-finals. NORTHAMPTON: Foden; Collins, Pisi, Burrell, North; Hanrahan, Dickson; A Waller, Hartley, Hill, Lawes, Day, Gibson, Wood, Harrison. Replacements: Mallinder for Collins (25), Myler for Hanrahan (53), Kessell for L Dickson (74), E Waller for A Waller (63), Haywood for Hartley (56), Denman for Hill (72), Fisher for Harrison (56). Not used: Paterson. SCORERS — Tries: Harrison, Day, Mallinder. Cons: Hanrahan, Myler. GLASGOW: Hogg; Jones, Dunbar, Johnson, Lamont; Russell, Price; Reid, MacArthur, Puafisi, Nakarawa, Gray, Wilson, Fusaro, Ashe. Replacements: Weir for Hogg (77), Naiyaravoro for Jones (57), Allan for Reid (64), Mamukashvili for MacArthur (61), Fagerson for Puafisi (53), Favaro for Fusaro (57). Not used: Swinson, Hart. Sin Bin: Swinson (74). SCORERS — Pens: Russell (4), Hogg. Referee: Romain Poite (France).