Gritty Glasgow dig deep to down Bulls in URC

United Rugby Championship: Glasgow v Bulls

Glasgow Warriors (7) 21

Tries: Tuipulotu, McBeth, Penalty Cons: Hastings 2

Bulls (5) 12

Tries: Jacobs, Le Roux Cons: Johannes

Glasgow Warriors moved top of the United Rugby Championship table before the rest of the weekend fixtures with a gritty victory over Bulls at Scotstoun.

Warriors centre Sione Tuipulotu and Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs exchanged tries in a frantic opening quarter, though the pace slowed for the remainder of the first half as the home side went in two points up at the break.

Willie le Roux scored early in the second half to put the Bulls in front and the South Africans looked set to inflict a rare home defeat on the Warriors.

However, a late surge from Glasgow saw them score through a penalty try and substitute Nathan McBeth to secure the win.

Warriors came out the blocks fast. Huge bursts from the lock pair of Scott Cummings and Max Williamson got the Glasgow train moving forward and the space was created for Adam Hastings to put Tuipulotu in for the opening score.

The Bulls response was impressive and immediate. Sebastian de Klerk collected a loose ball on halfway and carved through the home defence to set-up Jacobs for a run-in.

The game was wide open and being played at a frantic pace, with only some sloppy handling, and some fierce defence, preventing further scores for either side.

That changed when Hastings' pass was intercepted and the Bulls broke downfield. The ball was recycled and with the Warriors defence all at sea Le Roux was able to glide in untouched under the posts to give the South African side the lead.

The visitors looked to have struck a potentially decisive blow when substitute Kurt-Lee Arendse finished off a sweeping counter attack to score, but the television match official spotted a knock-on in the build-up and the try was ruled out.

That let-off seemed to provide the spark Glasgow needed, and when they sent a rolling line-out maul hurtling towards the Bulls line, it was hauled down illegally and the penalty try was awarded to put Warriors back in front at 14-12.

The momentum of the match had swung and substitute McBeth, who had earlier spent 10 minutes in the sin bin, crashed over from close range to give Glasgow a little breathing space with a nine-point cushion.

Warriors could not conjure a fourth try to secure the bonus-point, but that would merely have been icing on an evening they had to dig deep to see off a tough Bulls outfit and secure the win that sends them into a month-long URC break on a high.

Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay, Kyle Steyn (capt), Stafford McDowall, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Rowe; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Murphy Walker, Max Williamson, Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey.

Replacements: Seb Stephen, Nathan McBeth, Sam Talakai, Alex Samuel, Alex Craig, Euan Ferrie, Ben Afshar, Dan Lancaster.

Bulls: Willie le Roux, Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith, Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee, Reinhardt Ludwig, Jeandre Rudolph.

Replacements: Juann Else, Etienne Janneke, Francois Klopper, JJ Theron, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Stedman Gans, Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)