'Extremely proud' Franco Smith hails Glasgow Warriors' winning start in Challenge Cup at Bath

Forget the narrow margin of victory. This was by some way Glasgow’s most impressive performance so far under Franco Smith, vindicating the head coach’s insistence that he had not picked a weakened team for the Challenge Cup Pool A game.

Ollie Smith of Glasgow Warriors runs with the ball during the Pool B - Challenge Cup win over Bath at The Recreation Ground. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

“I’m extremely proud,” the coach said after a game won by a late Duncan Weir penalty - and by a fighting spirit in evidence from first to last. “To have a good team, you must have a good squad and we showed that today.

“The scoreline apart, the character the players showed and the way they went about their business was what we need in our squad and in our environment. So I was really proud of that.

“I think everyone stepped up to the plate today. That’s what we asked - to forget about where we were playing, to play with enthusiasm and belief in our systems. We got that.”

The Warriors began the match brightly, and giant lock Lewis Bean opened the scoring with an unconverted try, crunching his way through the defence from close range. Then George Turner finished off from a lineout drive, and Domingo Miotti added the two points to make it 12-0 after quarter of an hour.

Bath hit back with a touchdown from Wesley White, and then Fergus Lee-Warner finished off for their second. Ex-Edinburgh stand-off Piers Francis converted that score after missing the first, and the home side were level at 12-12.

But if Bath thought the tide had turned, they were proven wrong in the last minute of the half as Huw Jones marked his second debut for Glasgow with a superb score that left three defenders trailing in his wake. Miotti converted to make it 19-12 at the break.

After a scoreless third quarter, Bean was yellow-carded for straying offside at the breakdown as Bath began to exert more pressure. Within minutes the 15 men made their numerical advantage count, with Matt Gallagher finishing off in the left corner. Francis produced a superb kick from the touchline to make it 19-19.

Again, it appeared that the momentum was firmly with the home side, but the Warriors fought back once more, and with five minutes to go they were awarded a breakdown penalty. From about 30 metres out, Weir curled his kick just inside the posts.

Bath still had five minutes in which to salvage the match, but in truth they could have been given 25 minutes without getting anywhere. Glasgow were not going to let this one get away, and, after going eight months without an away win, have now claimed two in eight days following their victory at Zebre last week.

“We’re actually disappointed, because we created so many opportunities that weren’t converted,” Smith added. “We should have scored at least another once or twice in the first half, and then in the second we camped on the line, got held up and were turned over.

“That was a pity, but the way we stuck to our guns when they scored on the other side and it went to 19-all, you could clearly see that the guys were concentrating on what they had to do, not what they wanted to do.”

Perpignan are next up at Scotstoun on Friday. But, after a couple of morale-boosting results, Glasgow will fancy their chances - whichever 23 Smith picks for the game.