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Glasgow Warriors stand in the way of an historic 100th European win for Toulouse when they clash in the third round of the Champions Cup. - 04/12/2014 16:19
Glasgow Warriors stand in the way of an historic 100th European win for Toulouse when they clash in the third round of the Champions Cup.
The French giants could seal a remarkable century of wins from 141 European fixtures with victory at home on Sunday. Munster could become the first club to reach the landmark 100 wins in their game against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, but Toulouse will be hot on their heels the following day.
But they face one of Europe’s surprise packages this season, with Glasgow themselves looking to make a bit of club history. Glasgow have never won three European games in a row in the same season but after opening wins against Bath and Montpellier the Scots find themselves at the summit of pool four.
In fact Glasgow have won nine of their opening 11 fixtures in all competitions this season, putting them in contention in the PRO12 and with an excellent chance of progressing to the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup for the first time in their history.
They do have some history on their side as one of only eight teams to have beaten the four-time champions at home with their 33-26 victory in 2009. But Toulouse have won the other five out of their six previous meetings in the competition.
“We feel we can be one of the best teams in Europe,” said Warriors hooker Fraser Brown. “We want to become the best team in Europe and to be up there on the European stage. You have to do well in European competition to do that.”
“There is a reason why Toulouse think themselves one of the best teams in the world, but every team can have an off day. They lost last weekend, so they are not unbeatable. No team’s is unbeatable.”
Toulouse have won five of their last game’s in Europe’s top flight and seven of their last eight games in all competitions.
Match Facts
- Toulouse will win their 100th game in Europe’s top flight if successful on Sunday.
- Toulouse and Glasgow Warriors have met six times in Europe with Toulouse coming out on top in five of those games.
- Glasgow Warriors’ seven point win away against Toulouse in 2009 is the joint second biggest margin (7) Toulouse have lost by on home soil in the tournament and makes the Scottish club one of just eight to have beaten Toulouse at home in European competition.
- Glasgow Warriors’ Stuart Hogg has made two try assists in this season’s Champions Cup; only two players have made more.
- 07/12/2014 18:23
Toulouse claimed their 100th victory in European rugby and put themselves in pole position to qualify for the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a 19-11victory over Glasgow Warriors.
The Scottish side will have to win the reverse fixture at Scotstoun next week to keep their hopes of getting through to the knockout stages for the first time alive.
Yellow cards for Finn Russell and Leone Nakawara cost the Warriors as Duncan Weir missed a late conversion which would have given them a losing bonus-point.
Glasgow had the better of the early exchanges but it was clear they were in for a long day against European rugby’s biggest pack.
Toulouse used all 909 kilograms of their forward muscle to earn a penalty after 18 minutes on their first foray into Glasgow territory, Bezy converted to give the hosts a 3-0 lead.
Glasgow were dominating the territory and possession stats and their pressure told when they turned the tables at the scrum and won a penalty 30 metres from goal – which Russell converted.
But he was in trouble moments later as he saw yellow for an off-the-ball tip tackle on his opposite number Jean Marc Doussain.
The four-time European kings should have scored through Imanol Harinordoquy before Bezy slotted the resulting penalty and gave his side a 6-3 lead.
Bezy kicked another three-pointer as the clock ran dead to extend the gap to six points at half-time. And the French side raced out of the blocks after the break to score through Medard. The wing latched onto Doussain’s prod through after Yannick Nyanga nicked the ball from Rob Harley to give Toulouse a 16-3 lead after 41 minutes.
Russell got three points back on his return from the bin but Leone Nakawara ended the Scots’ hopes on 63 minutes when he saw yellow for using his feet at a ruck.
Bezy hit the resulting penalty to put Gregor Townsend’s men out of reach. Matawalu scored with two minutes remaining but Weir missed the conversion, and the chance to give his side a losing bonus-point.
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