The Bulls suffered a heartbreaking 25-21 defeat to the Glasgow Warriors in a Champions Cup classic at Scotstoun stadium, despite a strong performance in challenging weather conditions. The match kicked off in awful conditions, with rain lashing the stadium and driving winds making handling and kicking challenging.
The opening 10 minutes were all the Bulls and Glasgow were lucky to get away with, conceding just three points via a Handre Pollard penalty. But the Warriors are not unbeaten in 11 games at Scotstoun for nothing — they shook off the pressure from the Bulls and rampaged up field from the restart for lock Max Williams to crash over.
Champions Cup Quarter-Finals Beckon for Glasgow
The Bulls retaliated with an excellent passage of play off a lineout, which culminated in hooker Johan Grobbelaar diving over at the corner flag. Pollard missed the conversion to leave the Bulls in front at 8-7, but shortly after nudged over a penalty in front of the posts. The Warriors, however, were not to be denied, and No 8 Jack Dempsey scored off the back of a maul to give them a 12-11 lead.
As the Heineken Champions Cup reaches its quarter-final stage, the Warriors will be looking to build on their impressive home record. The Bulls, on the other hand, will be left to ponder what might have been, after a series of unforced errors cost them the match.
Key Moments in the Match
- The Bulls’ inability to cope with the Warriors’ restarts, which led to several scoring opportunities for the home team.
- The sin-binning of Elrigh Louw in the final minutes of the match, which sealed the win for the Warriors.
- The excellent kicking display from Handre Pollard, which kept the Bulls in the match until the very end.
The final score was 25-21 in favor of the Warriors, with tries from Max Williams, Jack Dempsey, and Stafford McDowall. The Bulls’ tries came from Johan Grobbelaar and Marco van Staden, with Handre Pollard kicking three penalties and a conversion.
