AFTER 13 Heineken Cup matches without a win, Glasgow finally came through with a record-breaking, as well as duck-breaking, performance yesterday. Any reservations about the commitment of Bourgoin were swept aside as Glasgow came from 13 points behind with a demonstration of the all-action rugby they have been trying to play all season.
“It was a fantastic win and a great performance,” Hugh Campbell, the coach, said. Campbell has had to weather a rising tide of doubt after Glasgow lost five consecutive matches in all competitions and the side had not previously won in the Heineken Cup in the time he has been in charge. No wonder he was a relieved man. “We played some really outstanding rugby against a quality side,” he said. “We have shown all season that we are capable of producing that.”
Apart from the highest score Glasgow have achieved in the competition, the seven tries were also a club record in the Heineken Cup. And there were some excellent individual performances from Colin Gregor the fly half, Mike Roberts, the wing, and Steve Swindall.
Roberts scored a couple of early touch downs but Bourgoin showed they had not turned up to surrender when they fought back with Anthony Forest, the wing, Pascal Papé, the lock, and Wessel Jooste all crashing over for tries.
With Andy Henderson in the sin-bin, the French pulled out a decent lead with Forest claiming his second score but then Glasgow got going and there was no looking back. Gregor Hayter, the lock, and Kevin Tkachuk, the prop, put Glasgow back in front before some glorious running and support play put Rory Lamont, the full back, over in the corner and Graeme Morrison, the replacement centre, under the posts.
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SCORERS: Glasgow: Tries: Roberts (7min, 15), Craig (39), Hayter (58), Tkachuk (64), Lamont (70), Morrison (72). Conversions: Gregor 6. Penalty goal: Gregor (36). Bougroin: Tries: Forest (5, 55), Pape (26), Jooste (41). Conversions: Boyet 2, Peyron. Penalty goals: Boyet (10, 18, 40+4).
SCORING SEQUENCE (Glasgow first): 7-0, 7-7, 7-10, 14-10, 14-13, 14-20, 17-20, 22-20, 22-23 (half time), 22-30, 22-35, 29-35, 36-35, 43-35, 50-35.
GLASGOW: R Lamont; H O’Hare, A Craig (rep: G Morrison, 59min), A Henderson (sin-bin: 40+3-50; rep: S Barrow, 50; rep:
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C Hamilton, 80+2), M Roberts; C Gregor (rep: D Parks, 75), G Beveridge (rep: S Pinder, 62); K Tkachuk (rep: L Harrison, 41), F Thomson (rep: S Lawson, 65), E Murray (rep: Tkachuk, 63), D Turner, G Hayter, S Swindall, J Barclay, J Petrie.
BOURGOIN: N Carmona; D Janin (rep: L Pesteil, 59), G Bousses, I Giorgadze, A Forest; B Boyet (rep: A Péclier, 41), M Forest (rep: M Campeggia, 41); O Milloud (rep: (rep: P Peyron 54) W Bonet, F Montagnat, 59), P Cardinali, C Del Fava (rep: A Mazel, 68), P Papé (sin-bin: 74-end), J Frier (rep: B Monzegelio, 56), J Bonnaire (sin-bin: 58-69), W Jooste.
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Referee: T Hayes (Wales).
Attendance: 1,038.