The Warriors were without 12 players because of Scotland duty, but still had the opportunities to win. Altitude played a part in their inability to do so, as did a resilient performance by the home team. But those avoidable mistakes - in defence in the first half and in possession in the second - were the key in the 35-24 loss.

The plus sides for Franco Smith’s team are that at least they came home with a try bonus point thanks to scores from Eli Caven, Cole Forbes, Tom Jordan and Thomas Gordon, and that they are still in fourth place in the URC and on course for a home tie in the first round of play-offs. Nonetheless, it was a frustrating afternoon at Ellis Park, made all the more irksome by the fact that their opponents were briefly down to 13 men due to two yellow cards and played a man down for the last quarter-hour after Ruan Dreyer was sent off for a dangerous clear-out.

Warriors No 8 Sione Vailanu was sent to the sin bin late in the first half of a match which, while never threatening to spill over into chaos, was too loosely structured from the visitors’ point of view. The Lions’ principal strength is the ability to improvise attacks from anywhere, and that was most tellingly in evidence in a first-half spell which, after Caven’s opening try and Jordan’s conversion, saw them score four tries without reply.

Forbes’ score, again converted by Jordan, brought things back to 24-14. But a penalty made it 27-14 just before the break, and the Lions took command with the first try of the second half. The Jordan and Gordon tries either side of the hour mark briefly brought the visitors hope, but Lombard had the last word with a penalty five minutes from time. Glasgow continued to attack after that in a quest for another try that would have given them a losing bonus, but they were kept at bay by a spirited defence.

Glasgow Warriors 10-match unbeaten run ends but Franco Smith's men earn bonus point v Lions

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