Glasgow run in six tries to sink Sale in Champions Cup opener
Glasgow Warriors beat Sale Sharks 47-27 at CorpAcq Stadium on Saturday to open their Investec Champions Cup season with a bonus-point win. The visitors scored six tries and led 21-15 at half-time before pulling clear in the second half, according to BBC Sport.
Play began after a minute's silence for Hyron Andrews. The former Sale lock was 31 and played regularly for the club last season. He died on Friday at the Johannesburg Lions' team hotel ahead of their Cup tie at La Rochelle.
Glasgow's tries came from captain Kyle Steyn, Jamie Dobie, Alex Craig, Ollie Smith and Ottavio Tuipulotu, plus a penalty try. A penalty try is awarded when illegal play stops a certain score, and it needs no kick afterwards. George Horne kicked four conversions and Adam Lancaster added one.
Sale kept punching back. Ben Curry, Arron Reed with two, and Rekeiti Ma'asi-White crossed for the hosts. England fly-half George Ford kicked two conversions and a penalty to keep Sale in touch at the break.
Discipline cost Sale at key moments. Scrum-half Gus Warr was sin-binned, sent from the field for ten minutes, for illegally stopping a driving maul (the shove-and-carry contest from a lineout) and Glasgow were awarded a penalty try. Winger Tom Roebuck was also sin-binned for tripping Steyn.
Glasgow had too much pace late on. The result continues a strong recent record against Sale. Last season Glasgow recovered from 14 points down to beat Sale 26-21, part of a clean sweep of bonus-point wins in the pool stage before a home quarter-final defeat by Toulon at Scotstoun.
What makes this stand out is the value of an away win in Europe. Travel is tiring, home crowds are loud, and early momentum matters. Glasgow took the lead, absorbed Sale's replies, then finished stronger when legs were heavy.
For fans new to the tournament, the Champions Cup is rugby union's top club competition, played over eight weekends with four pool rounds followed by knockouts. A bonus point is an extra table point for scoring four or more tries. This season there is another bonus point on offer for scoring three more tries than the opposition, which rewards positive, attacking rugby.
Sale now face a steep test. They travel to Dublin to meet Leinster in the second round of fixtures in December. Glasgow will host Pau in the same round, with early control of their pool after a full haul on the road.
