George Horne blip, 'bomb squad' impact, one player on different level - Glasgow Warriors taking points

It was a game that Franco Smith’s side ended with 13 players on the pitch but also had a big opportunity to snatch the win late on. There were obviously negatives to take out of the performance but also a few positives.

Here are three talking points from the thrilling contest at Scotstoun:

George Horne cost Glasgow with two key moments but scrum-half has more than his share of credit in the bank

First of all, it’s a team game and totally unfair to blame one individual for his side not winning. However, two big moments cost Glasgow a potential victory over Ulster and both came from scrum-half George Horne.

The late penalty miss while Warriors were down to 13 men stands out, but nobody is going to pile on a kicker for sending a high-pressure boot from the tee off the inside of the post. The very best have missed easier opportunities in bigger games.

Also, as his head coach correctly pointed out, he notched some difficult conversions throughout the game to put Glasgow in a position where they could win late on in the first place. However, the reckless moment that resulted in a Glasgow penalty being reversed which Ulster then went on to score from just before half time is a different matter.

Horne’s reaction and firing the ball against Tom Stewart was a moment of costly anger you simply would not expect from a player with his experience and pedigree. All that being said, there’s not a single supporter or pundit who would be unwilling to immediately forgive, forget and move on. Horne was the club’s player of the season last time out and has put his body on the line for Warriors for over a decade.

This one is in the history books. Next job.

Glasgow’s ‘bomb squad’ proving a useful weapon for Franco Smith

The sight of a full front-row change is pretty commonplace in rugby these days. The Springboks coined the phrase ‘bomb squad’ and their formidable selection of beefy brutes have been often imitated, never replicated.

Glasgow went for the front three change early in the second half last week against Munster to great effect with Nathan McBeth, Seb Stephen and Sam Talakai all having big moments in the match. Franco Smith introduced those three again on Saturday, early after the break, and took time to praise their impact in his post match press conference.

The three players compliment each other well. McBeth is perhaps a more modern prop who brings dynamism in the loose while Talakai is a throw-back, scrummaging machine and Stephen offers the raw, youthful talent with a big future.

Sione Tuipulotu on a different level as Scotland hopefuls continue to stake their claim

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu gave a typically humble answer about how much he feels he can still improve as a player when asked after the match about his current form. You wouldn’t hear him say it, but the centre is currently on a different level to any other player in Scotland at this moment in time.

His first five touches of the ball in the opening 20 minutes all resulted in either him breaking the line or putting a teammate in. Defensively he was also impressive.

He is inarguably one of the best centres in world rugby and if he can improve even further then that will be huge for Glasgow and Scotland. He didn’t have a perfect game by any means but he’s the sort of player who also brings those around him up to his level when he’s on it.

Meanwhile, Stafford McDowall and Kyle Rowe also put in good individual performances for Warriors. When it comes to the national team neither are currently guaranteed starters but easily could be if they keep their form up.

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