Glasgow Warriors grab top spot in URC with gritty victory after latest chapter of fascinating rivalry

The South African visitors made it a gruelling night for the hosts in the latest installment of this fascinating rivalry. The Bulls had won at Scotstoun last April but there was no repeat despite them taking the lead early in the second half.

In truth, they were unfortunate to have a try disallowed a few minutes later which could have changed the complexion of the match but Glasgow responded with great vigour to win 21-12, outsourcing the visitors by three tries to two.

“It was real tough because they kept firing shots,” said Kyle Steyn, the Warriors captain. “We played a lot of good rugby in the first half and maybe didn't get the rewards for it. But I'm really proud of the boys. It got tough and it got tight and they really stood up.”

Early days of course, but this was a result to make the top teams in the URC sit up and take notice. Glasgow famously beat the Bulls to win the URC in 2024 and Franco Smith had said pre-match that this had the feel of a final in October.

There was certainly no lack of commitment and some brilliant moments too; how could there not be with the likes of Sione Tuipulotu, Willie le Roux and Kurt-Lee Arendse on the field?

There was also a welcome return for Jack Dempsey who last played competitive rugby during the Six Nations in March. The watching Gregor Townsend would have been delighted to see the No 8 play the whole 80 minutes and Dempsey was later crowned player of the match. With the autumn Tests just around the corner, this was a welcome tonic.

Scotland captain puts early mark on game

Tuipulotu was restored to the Scotland captaincy this week and wasted little time in stamping his authority on the match. The game was only four and a half minutes old when he blasted his way through to open the scoring. And it was just what Glasgow deserved.

They had begun with great energy, Scott Cummings bursting up the middle before playing in Horne who was stopped five metres short. The tackle on the scrum-half by Keagan Johannes was a little high and the Warriors were awarded a penalty. It allowed them to keep the ball in the Bulls half and the pressure told eventually. Big carries by Gregor Brown and Matt Fagerson paved the way before it was spun out from George Horne to Adam Hastings to Tuipulotu. The centre had the strength to ground the ball despite the attentions of three Bulls defenders.

Hastings converted and all seemed well for the hosts. The Bulls, though, are in the third week of their European tour and are well used to weathering an early storm on foreign turf, including the artificial variety.

They soon built their way into the match and scored a fine try after 11 minutes, courtesy of their back three. Le Roux, their hugely experienced full-back, fielded a high ball and slipped it to Sebastian de Klerk who set off on a searing run up the right before playing in fellow wing Stravino Jacobs to score in the corner and silence Scotstoun.

Johannes couldn’t convert but the try was a shot across the bows of the hosts. They tried to fire back and there was another surge from Tuipulotu but he was stopped. Hastings kept the pressure on with a nicely judged chip to the corner and, from the Bulls lineout, Glasgow won a scrum close to the line thanks to Fagerson’s sturdy tackle on Marcell Coetzee. Unfortunately for the home side, it came to nought as they were penalised at the scrum.

Jamie Bhatti was the culprit and he would continue to get on the wrong side of referee Craig Evans as the half progressed.

These are the two highest scoring teams in the league but chances were few and far between and Glasgow continued to struggle at the scrum. Their woes there were exacerbated by the departure of Murphy Walker just before half-time, with the unlucky tighthead seemingly suffering from a shoulder injury. Sam Talakai took his place.

Jacobs was then short with a long range penalty attempt - Glasgow having been punished once more at the scrum - and the home side went in at the break 7-5 ahead.

Bhatti taken off at break

Bhatti didn’t reappear for the second half which was perhaps no surprise given his first-half travails, and Nathan McBeth took his place in the front row. But within 12 minutes, McBeth found himself back on the sidelines, in the sin-bin no less, after Glasgow failed to heed a warning from ref Evans.

By that point, the Bulls were ahead. They had intercepted a Hastings pass on their own 22 and an acrobatic offload from Sebastian de Klerk set them on their way. The irrepressible le Roux crashed over from Embrose Papier’s pass after good work by Ruan Nortje. Johannes converted then left the field for an HIA.

Now trailing 12-7, this was developing into a real test of Glasgow’s credentials. Both these teams have title aspirations and this felt a bit more than an early season skirmish.

As it turned out, the match hinged on four frantic minutes midway through the second half. The Bulls appeared to have moved further ahead when Kurt-Lee Arendse combined with le Roux to score what looked like a dazzling try. Unfortunately, for the brilliant Bok, there had been a knock on by his captain, Nortje, in the build-up.

It galvanised Glasgow. They went straight back down the field and attacked with a new ferocity. The Bulls were becoming frantic and were warned by Evans. The Warriors kicked to the corner and piled over from the subsequent lineout. Evans awarded a penalty try and Francois Klopper was sent to the bin.

Glasgow, who had been close to falling two scores behind, now led 14-12. The victory was in their sights and they made sure with 10 minutes remaining. McBeth had only come on at half-time but it was an eventful night for the loosehead who had spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin. It ended on a sweet note with his pick-and-go try which Hastings converted, pushing the fly-half past 500 points for the Warriors.