Glasgow Warriors 35-21 Bulls: Huge win for Franco Smith as Scots outmuscle South Africans

Scotstoun is a special place for Glasgow Warriors and so it proved once again as they swatted aside the previously unbeaten Bulls to claim a bonus-point win.

George Horne scores Glasgow's fourth try, a brilliant individual effort. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Glasgow won the physical battle and that can’t be said often against South African opponents. All the key turnovers went their way, and that is testament to a superb back-row performance, with Matt Fagerson particularly impressive.

He scored the opening try and there were three more in a blistering first half from Sebastian Cancelliere, Scott Cummings and the outstanding George Horne to ensure the bonus point was in the bag by the break. Things were more even in the second half but Josh McKay marked his first appearance since ankle surgery by scoring Glasgow’s fifth try.

The 35-21 victory ensured the Warriors’ unbeaten home record in the United Rugby Championship will stretch beyond a year. The challenge now for Franco Smith is to win away. They go to South Africa next week for games against the Sharks and Lions.

Matt Fagerson praised Glasgow’s quick start. “We came out of the blocks firing,” said the No 8. “We knew it was going to be a massive physical battle and I’m so proud of the boys.

“The Bulls got to the final last year and it was really tough in the opening minutes, very attritional.”

Glasgow got off to the best possible start, with two tries inside 11 minutes. The first came after they won the retaken first scrum and Tom Jordan sparked an attack which eventually yielded a penalty.

Glasgow kicked to the corner, won the lineout and Fraser Brown darted for the line. He was held up but the home side kept pushing and Matt Fagerson picked the ball off the base of the ruck and forced his way over.

Warriors' Fraser Brown celebrates a try at Scotstoun. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Try No 2 came from a delightful passing move in which Richie Gray and Brown joined the line to good effect before Cancelliere applied the finishing touch.

Horne converted both and Glasgow were 14 points ahead.

The Bulls eventually woke up and punished a bit of slackness in the home ranks. Horne tried to go down the blindside but was pickpocketed and Cornal Hendricks took it on before playing in Kurt-Lee Arendse for a try which Chris Smith converted.

Sione Tuipulotu, captaining Glasgow Warriors for the first time, launches an attack against the Bulls. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Glasgow’s response was immediate. They won a penalty in the Bulls 22, kicked to the corner again and it was Cummings this time who forced his way over.

It was breathless stuff and in between all the tries the Bulls were given a talking to after Zander Fagerson had his scrum cap ripped off.

Horne was outstanding a fortnight ago as the Warriors tore Cardiff apart and he was quick and elusive against the Bulls. His try to secure the bonus point was special. Picking the ball up at halfway, he darted to within five metres of the line, got tackled, bounced up, got tackled again but just managed to stretch over and ground the ball. He looked exhausted from the effort but dusted himself down and knocked over his fourth conversion of the night.

Cancelliere slipped the ball inside to McKay for try No 5 early in the second half but Horne’s all-action evening took a turn for the worse after 56 minutes when he got involved in a dust-up with Elrigh Louw which led to both men being sin-binned. Height-wise it was something of a mismatch but the pair had plenty to say to each other as they left the pitch.

Time was running out for the Bulls but they summoned a late flourish with tries from replacements Bismarck du Plessis and Janko Swanepoel.

Scorers: Glasgow Warriors: Tries: M Fageson, Cancelliere, Cummings, Horne, McKay. Cons: Horne 5. .

Bulls: Tries: Arendse, du Plessis, Swanepoel. Cons: Smith 2, Steyn.

Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay; Sebastian Cancelliere, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes (Ali Price 56); Tom Jordan (Domingo Miotti 66), George Horne; Jamie Bhatti (Nathan McBeth 65), Fraser Brown (George Turner 53), Zander Fagerson (Lucio Sordoni 65), Scott Cummings (JP du Preez 75), Richie Gray (Sintu Manjezi 53), Gregor Brown (Ryan Wilson 66), Thomas Gordon, Matt Fagerson.

Vodacom Bulls: Kurt-Lee Arendse; Cornal Hendricks (Wandisile Simelane 71), Lionel Mapoe, David Kriel, Stedman Gans; Chris Smith (Morné Steyn 69), Zak Burger (Embrose Papier 54); Gerhard Steenekamp (Simphiwe Matanzima 54), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bismarck Du Plessis 54), Francois Klopper (Mornay Smith 54); Walt Steenkamp (Janko Swanepoel 66), Ruan Nortjé; Marcell Coetzee (capt), Marco Van Staden, Elrigh Louw (Reinhardt Ludwig 66).

Referee: Andy Brace (IRFU)

Attendance: 5,855