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Glasgow Warriors will be looking to build on last season's quarter-final finish
2019 Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finalists Glasgow Warriors host 2019 Challenge Cup semi-finalists Sale Sharks on Saturday in a Pool 2 meeting between two in-form European sides.
You can watch the match from Scotstoun live and exclusively from 13:00 GMT on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS.
Key Quotes
- Dave Rennie (Glasgow): “It’s obviously a big thing from a Scottish perspective, both us and Edinburgh making it through to the final eight. It’s a tough competition, obviously we’re pretty keen to build on what we did last year, so we’re going to have to play really well but we’ve got a tough pool.”
- Steve Diamond (Sale): “They play a quick style of play – it’s not in the ruck for more than two or three seconds and [it’s] multi-phased – so if your ‘D’ isn’t right, if you’ve not got your line-speed right, then we could have a hard day at the office. So, we’ve got to make sure we have those principles in place.”
🗣 "We’re pretty keen to build on what we did last year, so we’re going to have to play really well…"
Dave Rennie has high expectations for @GlasgowWarriors ahead of their #HeinekenChampionsCup Round 1 duel with @SaleSharksRugby 🤜🤛https://t.co/iD75CYuANZ
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) November 12, 2019
Key Facts
- These two sides have faced each other twice previously back in 2002/03 with both home sides winning in their two pool stage meetings.
- Glasgow have won eight of their last 10 home games against Premiership opposition in the Heineken Champions Cup, although one of them came against eventual champions Saracens last season.
- Sale will be back in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
- Adam Hastings played more minutes than any other Glasgow player in the Heineken Champions Cup last season and finished with 61 points.
Daniel Van der Merwe crosses for Glasgow Warriors first-half try /Getty
Glasgow opened their Champions Cup Pool 2 campaign with a hard-fought but deserved 13-7 victory over Sale at Scotstoun despite a late charge from the Sharks.
Glasgow dominated the opening period with Sale hardly able to get out of their own territory in the first half-hour.
Fly-half Adam Hastings made the pressure count with two penalties inside that period to put them 6-0 ahead before Sale enjoyed their best spell of the half without being able to make it count on the scoreboard.
A hard-fought win at Scotstoun and we have our first four @ChampionsCup points in the bag 💪 pic.twitter.com/aK7Qb8EieP
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) November 16, 2019
A penalty eased the pressure on the home line and from a midfield move centre Sam Johnson took a poor pass and timed his delivery to winger Daniel Van der Merwe superbly and he strode in to score. Hastings again converted as Glasgow held a 13-0 half-time advantage.
Sale brought on Chris Ashton and Rob du Preez in a bid to increase their threat in attack and they were back in the game on the hour mark.
Glasgow full-back Tommy Seymour lost possession near his line and from the resulting scrum replacement Coenie Oosthuizen forced his way over with AJ MacGinty converting.
61 | Sale set a good platform fro the scrum and Coenie Oosthuizen goes over to score.
#GLAvSAL [13-5] | @UKFast pic.twitter.com/6UqgzIICeg
— Sale Sharks🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) November 16, 2019
The Sharks visibly lifted but Glasgow, whose defensive effort was magnificent throughout, held on in a tense finish to score a richly deserved success.
Glasgow travel to Exeter Chiefs next Saturday as they bid to keep up the momentum while Sale will try and kick-start their campaign when they host La Rochelle on Sunday.
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