Glasgow run Sale ragged
MATCH REPORT: Glasgow Warriors kept themselves in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup with a runaway 45-7 win over Sale Sharks.
The bonus point victory put them into the top eight overnight but they face an anxious wait to see if either Gloucester, who visit Toulouse, or Saracens, who host Racing 92, pick up the victories they need to potentially pip them for the final knockout berth.
Glasgow effectively had the job done in the first half-hour as they ran in three tries in clinical fashion.
Flank Leone Nakarawa made a dramatic start in his comeback game for the Warriors as he showed his strength to bullock his way over after only two minutes.
Then with Sale still reeling from the sin-binning of no.8 Jono Ross for a a high tackle, hooker Fraser Brown plunged in.
Sale did manage to gain some territory but they lacked the killer blow and Glasgow went back upfield to show them how it was done as scrumhalf Ali Price evaded the defence and slipped out a pass for winger Daniel Van der Merwe to grab a poacher’s score. Adam Hastings added all three conversions to put the Warriors 21-0 ahead at the break.
The bonus point score came seven minutes into the second period as centre Sam Johnson finished off more good work by man of the match Price.
Jake Cooper-Woolley gained a small consolation for outclassed Sale with a strong finish after good approach work by Denny Solomona but Glasgow finished strongly.
Jonny Gray crossed with 15 minutes remaining and George Turner added another four minutes from time with Hastings landing his sixth conversion to add to a second half penalty.
The scorers:
For Sale Sharks:
Try: Cooper-Woolley
Con: Curtis
For Glasgow Warriors:
Tries: Nakarawa, Brown, Van Der Merwe, Johnson, Gray, Turner
Cons: Hastings 6
Pen: Hastings
Yellow cards: Jono Ross (Sale Sharks, 9), Leone Nakarawa (Glasgow Warriors, 39)
Teams:
Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Luke James, 12 James Williams, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 Thomas Curtis, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Ben Curry, 6 Tom Curry, 5 James Phillips, 4 Matthew Postlewhaite, 3 WillGriff John, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Ross Harrison.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Ben Carlile, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Sam Dugdale, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 Fergus Warr, 22 Cameron Redpath, 23 Thomas Roebuck.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Glenn Bryce, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ali Price, 8 Ryan Wilson (captain), 7 Tom Gordon, 6 Leone Nakarawa, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Fraser Brown, 1 Aki Seiuli.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Adam Nicol, 19 Rob Harley, 20 Chris Fusaro, 21 George Horne, 22 Pete Horne, 23 Niko Matawalu.
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Maxime Chalon (France), Julien Dufort (France)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
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