Glasgow Warriors 29-19 Racing 92: Scots suffer late wobble but nothing can halt European progress as Champions Cup last-16 spot is sealed

Glasgow survived a late wobble against Racing to show they deserve the mantle of Champions Cup contenders.

A devastating first-half performance delivered four tries and the bonus point to all but deliver Franco Smith’s side into the last 16.

The second period wasn’t quite as clinical as chances went abegging, with Warriors only scoring once through a Rory Darge effort from the maul.

Matt Fagerson’s needless late yellow card, however, made the evening slightly more nervy than it ought to have been, especially when Racing took advantage to run in two more late scores.

That made the scoreline closer than it really ought to have been but the hard work had been done in the first half as Glasgow again made home advantage count.

They will now head across the border to take on Harlequins and will look to guarantee that they will be back at Scotstoun for their last-16 tie.

Racing have reached the final of this competition three times in the past decade — losing each one — but the line-up sent north to Glasgow was a poor imitation of some of those great teams of the recent past.

Sitting ninth in the Top 14 table, Stuart Lancaster elected to leave many of his established names at home, while former England captain Owen Farrell and French centre Gael Fickou both missed out through injury. 

Having lost their six previous away games in Europe, their prospects against an almost full-strength Glasgow unit did not look promising.

They did not improve any after the opening three minutes as Warriors cut open their opponents with ease to land the first try of the game. George Horne was the man who started and finished it, Josh McKay joining the line from full-back and bursting clear before feeding Tom Jordan.

The fly-half soon had Horne running alongside him on his shoulder and a simple pass inside sent the scrum-half scurrying in for a touchdown that made him the club’s all-time leading European try scorer. His conversion, via a post, put Warriors 7-0 up and in the driving seat.

Glasgow have established a reputation as an attacking force of some repute but they can defend a bit as well. Racing kicked for the corner and looked to power over. The home side — with an all Scottish pack — held their ground to emerge with a penalty on their own five-metre line.

Warriors at this stage looked like they could slice Racing open with every break. Only a last-gasp tackle from opposite number Clovis le Bail stopped Horne from claiming his and his team’s second.

The scrum-half had to depart for a head injury assessment after that tackle — he wouldn’t return — but his exit didn’t halt Warriors’ momentum. Replacement Jamie Dobie hared down the line only to be stopped by great covering work from Vinaya Habosi who bundled him into touch.

That intervention simply delayed the inevitable as Warriors claimed their second score courtesy of Dobie. Matt Fagerson deserved most of the credit, however, the back-rower spotting a gap in the French defence and storming through it before teeing up his team-mate.

Racing’s resistance was already broken and it soon got worse for them as Glasgow claimed the third score of a scintillating first half. This time it was the backs who did the damage, Sione Tuipulotu, Jordan and McKay working the ball wide for

Sebastian Cancelliere — wearing a fetching pair of long johns — to scorch down the line to score.

For a second kick in succession, Jordan struck his conversion effort against the outside of the post, something that looked more costly when Racing scored with their first real attack of the half.

Antoine Gibert had the foresight to play a kick-pass to the far left corner where Habosi jumped higher than Cancelliere to collect and stroll over the line. Tristan Tedder’s conversion meant Glasgow, somehow, only led by 10 points.

Warriors, though, roared back to land their fourth try in the final minute of the half, and with it the bonus point. Rory Darge played the pass off the line-out and there was Tuipulotu arriving at speed to barrel his way to the line.

The second half opened with Glasgow on top again, only for some loose handling and some spirited Racing defence to deny them the chance to add to their tally.

Huw Jones, in particular, looked in the mood and one pass to Kyle Steyn looked certain to deliver another try only for the ball to be lost at a crucial moment.

Lancaster turned to his bench at this time, making six changes in one go that saw former Warriors prop Lucio Sordoni depart the field as part of the mass switch.

Glasgow soon followed suit as limbs started to get tired in sub-zero temperatures, with four players emerging from the bench including Euan Ferrie for his first appearance since October.

That change gave the home side fresh impetus and they soon broke the second-half impasse with a fifth try. 

This time the trusty maul delivered it, the pack powering over the line for Darge to flop over.

Glasgow looked well in control at this point but a sloppy finish took something of a shine off things as they lost Matt Fagerson to a yellow card and then conceded two more tries.

Fagerson’s sin-binning was needless and mindless as he was caught slapping the ball out of the hands of Kleo Labarbe at the back of a ruck. 

His frustration at his action was obvious as he sloped off the pitch and Racing soon took advantage to land two more tries.

First to score was Lee-Marvin Mazibuko who burrowed over from close range after the visitors had battered away at the line.

And there was soon to be another sharp intake of breath among the home fans as Racing claimed their third score of the game.

This time it went to Tristan Tedder who went over in the corner after Henry Arundell had started the move.

However, Glasgow had done enough by then to make sure of the win.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: McKay; Cancielliere, Jones, Tuipulotu, Steyn (Weir 67), Jordan, Horne (Dobie 16); Sutherland (Bhatti 53), Matthews (Hiddleston 53), Z Fagerson (Talakai 53), Brown, Cummings (Samuel 67), M Fagerson, Darge (Miller 77), Mann (Ferrie 53). 

Sin bin: M Fagerson (70).

Unused replacements: None.

RACING 92: Spring, Habosi (Idrissi 49), Tedder, Chavancy, Arundell, Gibert (Lancaster 62), Le Bail (Labarbe 67); Julien (Ben Arous 49), Kaitu’u (Escobar 49), Sordoni (Mazibuko 49), Palu, Kpoku (Taofifenua 49), Zinzen (Dayimani 49), Diallo, Baudonne.

Unused replacements: None.

Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng).

Attendance: 7,216.