Russell rules as French force is foiled again

The result moved Glasgow ahead of Munster at the top of Pool 1, although those positions will be reversed if the Irish side beat Leicester at Welford Road today. With a game in hand, and a couple of bonus points to boot, Munster still appear to have the upper hand for automatic qualification, but they will certainly not relish the prospect of a trip to Scotstoun to take on this Glasgow side on the penultimate weekend of the group stages next month.

Afterwards Josh Strauss, the hosts’ No 8 who is expected to leave Glasgow at the end of this season, said that the squad feels more confident now than at any time in his five years at the club.

“This is the best position we have been in during my time here. In previous years we have been very dominant in the PRO12 but lost games in Europe. It has been frustrating in terms of European games, but this year it feels like things are falling into place. We really needed this one.

“There will be a lot of change next year, a lot of people are out of contract. As a group there is a feeling that this might be the last one, so we are playing for each other. The team has always been about family — that’s a big feeling.”

Faced with one of the heaviest packs ever assembled by a club side, it was no great surprise that Glasgow should want to put pace on the ball right from the off. What was less expected was how quickly their up-tempo tactics should pay dividends, for the clock had only just reached the four-minute mark when Strauss thundered over the line to open the scoring for the Warriors.

The move had begun near the Racing 10 metre line, with Russell chipping over the defence in a carbon copy of the ruse that had created Scotland’s first try against Australia last month. This time it was Tommy Seymour who gathered the bouncing ball, and the winger surged forward before shipping it on to Stuart Hogg. Hogg made a few more yards and Strauss steamed up in support to take the pass and score.

It was a superb start by Glasgow, and the follow-up was just as good. Nine minutes after the first try, they collected their second when Fraser Brown finished off another quick attack, featuring another sublime contribution by Russell, by blasting past three Racing defenders for his touchdown.

Glasgow’s speed in possession clearly bamboozled Racing, who struggled to get out of their own half. Even when the French side did make ground, they were no better at looking after the ball than they had been on their own Paris patch six days earlier. Nor was Racing’s first line of defence any more impressive, as Glasgow continued to punch holes and send their runners racing through the gaps.

At least Racing’s last-ditch defence was a little more solid, for they kept the scoreboard still for the next 17 minutes. Then, though, just as the game reached the half-hour, Russell pushed Glasgow’s advantage out to 15-0 with a calm penalty. Shortly before half-time, the fly-half added another three points after Glasgow had buckled the Racing pack in front of their own posts.

The final play of the first half was the first significant attack Racing managed to pull together. It was sparked by Carter who threaded a kick towards the left corner. Marc Andreu was the first to get to it, but not by much, and Seymour managed to prevent the Racing wing from grounding the ball.

Pictures from the Racing changing room at half-time hardly suggested a team that was girding itself for more strenuous effort, and the opening passage of the second half bore that out. Six minutes after the break, Glasgow collected their third try when Ali Price, the fast-improving scrum-half, shot past three defenders and over the line.

Racingmade a raft of tight-five replacements, but still they struggled to make headway. The French had at least been expected to win the arm-wrestle, but they struggled there, too, as Glasgow’s maul defence was outstanding.

Racing did finally exert some sustained pressure towards the end of the third quarter, but Glasgow were unflinching. The changing pattern of the game led Warriors coach Gregor Townsend to replace the livewire Price with Henry Pyrgos, presumably to add an element of control. However, the try-bonus point was beckoning, and the arrival of Mark Bennett, who took over from Sam Johnson in the centre, was proof that Glasgow wanted more.

It wasn’t to be, though. Unsurprisingly, some of the pace dropped out of Glasgow’s game towards the end and they coughed up a try to Xavier Chauveau, Racing’s replacement scrum-half.