Glasgow Warriors secure bonus-point win over Sale Sharks in Champions Cup opener. The Scottish side bounced back from a slow start to come from behind and claim a 26-21 victory at Sale's home ground, the Memorial Stadium.
Sale set the tone early on, scoring two tries within the first 20 minutes through Ernst van Rhyn and Ollie Davies, with the latter's debut try coming after just five minutes. Glasgow responded well to the hosts' onslaught, hitting back with a pair of tries before halftime courtesy of Gregor Hiddleston and Rory Darge.
The Scottish side increased the pressure in the second half, with Kyle Steyn scoring on 54 minutes to give Glasgow their first lead of the game. Stafford McDowall sealed the bonus point for the visitors with his 100th appearance, as Sale trailed by 15 points with just over an hour remaining.
A late try from Marius Louw gave Sale some hope, but they were unable to capitalize on a line-out opportunity that would have given them a last-ditch chance. The final score was 26-21 in favor of Glasgow, who secured a significant early blow to Sale's Champions Cup hopes.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith praised his side's resilience, saying: "It doesn't get much tougher than that – we've earned the right to be happy with our performance." The Warriors will look to build on this victory when they host Toulouse next week, while Sale travel to Clermont for their own European challenge.
Sale set the tone early on, scoring two tries within the first 20 minutes through Ernst van Rhyn and Ollie Davies, with the latter's debut try coming after just five minutes. Glasgow responded well to the hosts' onslaught, hitting back with a pair of tries before halftime courtesy of Gregor Hiddleston and Rory Darge.
The Scottish side increased the pressure in the second half, with Kyle Steyn scoring on 54 minutes to give Glasgow their first lead of the game. Stafford McDowall sealed the bonus point for the visitors with his 100th appearance, as Sale trailed by 15 points with just over an hour remaining.
A late try from Marius Louw gave Sale some hope, but they were unable to capitalize on a line-out opportunity that would have given them a last-ditch chance. The final score was 26-21 in favor of Glasgow, who secured a significant early blow to Sale's Champions Cup hopes.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith praised his side's resilience, saying: "It doesn't get much tougher than that – we've earned the right to be happy with our performance." The Warriors will look to build on this victory when they host Toulouse next week, while Sale travel to Clermont for their own European challenge.
Glasgow totally came from behind and stole it from Sale! I mean, two tries in the first 20 minutes is crazy 
Sale set the tone but Glasgow kept pushing back and finally got that lead on 54 minutes. Kyle Steyn's try was so clutch 
And to be honest, I kinda love seeing underdog teams like Sale get thrashed by bigger rivals 
Franco Smith said it doesn't get much tougher than this? yeah tell us more 
Toulouse better watch out next week lol
but in the end glasgow's defense held strong and they deserved that win 
can't wait to see what happens next week against toulouse!!! 
they totally deserved that win after coming from behind, it was such a nail-biter! I mean, 2 tries down and still managing to win? props to Franco Smith's team for showing so much heart 
can't wait to see how they do next week against Toulouse 
Franco Smith is a genius coach he knows how to get the most out of his team and they played so well as a unit. Gregor Hiddleston and Rory Darge are like my favorite players ever 
And sorry Sale Sharks, but you gotta step up your game if u wanna compete with Glasgow 
. Franco Smith is spot on though, his team definitely deserved to be happy with that performance 
Glasgow's come from behind win is defo one of the craziest games I've seen in ages! I'm hyped for them, but also a bit worried they might get complacent now that they're on a high 
Guess that's true for teams like Sale and Glasgow. On to Toulouse next week, let's see how they handle the pressure 
Stafford McDowall's 100th appearance for Glasgow is also a nice milestone, I'm sure that was a special moment for him. 
️ The Glasgow Warriors' opening Champions Cup win was a testament to their resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity 
. As the game intensified in the second half, Kyle Steyn's try notched up a crucial six points, sending the visitors ahead for the first time 
. Stafford McDowall's 100th appearance was a poignant moment of individual brilliance, securing the bonus point and ultimately sealing Sale's fate 
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Glasgow came from behind and took it all the way! Their resilience is totally admirable 
Now, I'm curious to see how Sale will bounce back from this loss... maybe they just need a little shake-up to get their Champions Cup hopes back on track 
. I gotta say, the comeback by Glasgow was incredible! They were down but not out, and it's awesome to see them fighting back like that. The Scottish side showed some real grit and determination, especially in the second half when they took control of the game 
. It'll be tough, but I think they've got what it takes to make some noise in Europe! 
. But our boys showed some serious grit and determination to come from behind. I'm loving the underdog story here, it's so inspiring! 
. The Champions Cup is heating up, can't wait to see more of these matches! 
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That's such an achievement for the guy! And Franco Smith is a genius coach, he must be so proud of his team 
. Can't wait to see how they do against Toulouse next week 