Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors’ Challenge Cup campaign was ended in agonising fashion this evening, as Montpellier emerged victorious by 26-21 in a hard-fought clash at GGL Stadium.
Adam Hastings and Ross Thompson combined for all of Glasgow’s points from the tee, as the visitors ultimately came up just short at the home of the French heavyweights.
Well aware of opening the match on the front foot, Danny Wilson’s men could hardly have scripted a better start under the GGL Stadium floodlights. An over-eager Montpellier chase was penalised for offside by referee Karl Dickson, allowing Hastings to open the scoring with a penalty just 70 seconds into the match.
The early score set the tone for a frenetic opening stanza, as both teams looked to spark attacks from deep. Huw Jones was looking especially lively in a Glasgow shirt, as the full-back routinely broke the Montpellier defensive line as he returned searching kicks from the hosts.
Montpellier, too, were looking to show their skills with ball in hand, and were rewarded with their first points on 13 minutes. A counter-attack sparked by Anthony Bouthier saw a number of Montpellier hands keep the ball alive, before Alex Lozowski punished a Glasgow indiscretion with a simple kick to level the scores at 3-3.
Straight from the restart, the Warriors restored their advantage. A stolen lineout allowed Fotu Lokotui to charge into Montpellier’s defensive live, with the French outfit too slow to roll away for the referee’s liking. Hastings was on target from the tee, giving the visitors a 6-3 lead.
Back came Montpellier once more, with a Yacouba Camara turnover providing Lozowski with another chance to level the scores. Having missed a penalty just moments before from an angled shot from 35m, the Englishman made no mistake from an easier attempt to tie the match once more.
An end-to-end affair swung the way of the Warriors once again on 27 minutes; good work from the Glasgow defence forced an error from their hosts, before Rufus McLean sent Nick Grigg racing into the Montpellier 22. The home side’s scramble defence denied the centre at the expense of a penalty, from which Hastings added three more points to take himelf past 400 for the club, and to take the Warriors back into the lead.
For all the attacking intent shown, spectators were made to wait until the half-hour mark for the first real try-scoring opportunity. It came from the hosts, as Cobus Reinach’s grubber kick sparked a foot race between Ali Price and Johan Goosen. The Montpellier winger got fingertips to the ball before Price dragged him to floor, with the TMO ruling in favour of Glasgow and awarding a scrum to the visitors rather than a penalty try.

The home side were not to be denied their opening score, however, striking with the final play of the half. A five-metre lineout from Guilhem Guirado was reeled in by Nico Janse van Rensburg, before Guirado himself peeled away to barrel over despite the attention of Sam Johnson. Lozowski converted, handing the hosts a 13-9 lead at the break.
To compound Glasgow’s pain, Montpellier were the first to trouble the scorers in the second half to boot. Good work from Lozowski and Arthur Vincent freed Vincent Rattez in the wide channels with the winger left with a simple draw-and-give to send Bouthier over for the score. Lozowski’s conversion left the score at 20-9, and left Glasgow chasing the game.
The Warriors came back fighting, with Fraser Brown’s work at the breakdown earning a penalty dispatched to the corner by Hastings. From a following penalty, Brown thought he’d burrowed over from a quick tap, only for the TMO to rule that the hooker had lost control in a borderline call. However, with Montpellier infringing in the process, Bastian Chalureau was sent to the sin-bin to hand Glasgow the man advantage.
A fourth penalty from Hastings narrowed the gap to eight points on 54 minutes, yet the Warriors comeback effort was dealt a hefty blow just moments later. A head-high shot from TJ Ioane resulted in the Samoan receiving a red card from referee Dickson, Lozowski’s resulting penalty restoring Montpellier’s eight-point advantage.
Glasgow still refused to go quietly, though. A break from Nick Grigg found the ever-willing George Horne – on for Price – on his shoulder, and when the scrum-half was felled by a high tackle Hastings narrowed the gap to 23-15.
That deficit was cut yet further with 10 minutes remaining, as Florian Verhaeghe’s no-arms tackle was punished by replacement Thompson. Despite Lozowski responding in kind moments later, an off-the-ball dump tackle by Martin Devergie on George Turner presented Thompson with a chance to set up a grandstand finish with seven minutes to play. The fly-half nervelessly slotted a penalty from 45 metres on the angle, leaving the score at 26-21 to the hosts.
In a game of few chances, the closing stages nearly yielded the ultimate last-gasp drama from the visitors. Thompson’s cross-kick agonisingly bounced the wrong way for a chasing Lee Jones, with Montpellier’s counter-attack almost putting the game to bed.
There was still time for a final Glasgow attack, as Horne and Thompson roused the troops for a final assault. Instead, though, it was Alex Becognee who produced the game-winning intervention, turning the ball over and booting to touch to bring the curtain down on Glasgow’s European campaign.
live commentary 8:00 PM Friday 2 Apr 2021
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Montpellier
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Julien Tisseron
23. Replacement0metres made
0MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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Yvan Reilhac
22. Replacement0metres made
40MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Jules Danglot
21. Replacement0metres made
0MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Caleb Timu
20. Replacement0metres made
0MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Martin Devergie
19. Replacement0metres made
3MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Titi Lamositele
18. Replacement0metres made
26MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Robert Rodgers
17. Replacement0metres made
0MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Bismarck Du Plessis
16. Replacement8metres made
21MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Alexandre Becognee
8. Number 85metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
12TACKLES MADE
7COMPLETE PASSES
-
Yacouba Camara
7. Back-row6metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
17TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg
6. Back-row0metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
17TACKLES MADE
5COMPLETE PASSES
-
Bastien Chalureau
5. Second-row38metres made
68MINUTES PLAYED
9TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Florian Verhaeghe
4. Second-row7metres made
71MINUTES PLAYED
11TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
-
Mohammed Haouas
3. Tighthead prop5metres made
54MINUTES PLAYED
8TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Guilhem Guirado
2. Hooker12metres made
59MINUTES PLAYED
9TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Enzo Forletta
1. Loosehead prop9metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
17TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Cobus Reinach
9. Scrum-half71metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
8TACKLES MADE
32COMPLETE PASSES
-
Alex Lozowski
10. Stand-off10metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
10TACKLES MADE
13COMPLETE PASSES
-
Vincent Rattez
11. Wing73metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Jan Serfontein
12. Inside-centre4metres made
40MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
-
Arthur Vincent
13. Outside-centre29metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
14TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
-
Johan Goosen
14. Wing20metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
6COMPLETE PASSES
-
Anthony Bouthier
15. Full-back55metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
9COMPLETE PASSES
Glasgow Warriors
-
Huw Jones
15. Full-back87metres made
25MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Rufus McLean
14. Wing28metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Nick Grigg
13. Outside-centre49metres made
76MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
8COMPLETE PASSES
-
Sam Johnson
12. Inside-centre31metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
5TACKLES MADE
6COMPLETE PASSES
-
Lee Jones
11. Wing45metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
4COMPLETE PASSES
-
Adam Hastings
10. Stand-off6metres made
69MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
12COMPLETE PASSES
-
Ali Price
9. Scrum-half5metres made
59MINUTES PLAYED
2TACKLES MADE
47COMPLETE PASSES
-
Oli Kebble
1. Loosehead prop10metres made
75MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
6COMPLETE PASSES
-
Fraser Brown
2. Hooker13metres made
56MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Zander Fagerson
3. Tighthead prop20metres made
69MINUTES PLAYED
9TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Richie Gray
4. Second-row2metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
Rob Harley
5. Second-row1metres made
75MINUTES PLAYED
6TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
-
Fotu Lokotui
6. Back-row18metres made
56MINUTES PLAYED
11TACKLES MADE
3COMPLETE PASSES
-
Thomas Gordon
7. Back-row4metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
11TACKLES MADE
5COMPLETE PASSES
-
Ryan Wilson
8. Number 813metres made
80MINUTES PLAYED
4TACKLES MADE
8COMPLETE PASSES
-
George Turner
16. Replacement8metres made
24MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Dylan Evans
17. Replacement3metres made
5MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
1COMPLETE PASSES
-
Enrique Pieretto Heiland
18. Replacement2metres made
11MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
2COMPLETE PASSES
-
Leone Nakarawa
19. Replacement1metres made
5MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
TJ Ioane
20. Replacement0metres made
3MINUTES PLAYED
3TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
-
George Horne
21. Replacement15metres made
21MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
34COMPLETE PASSES
-
Ross Thompson
22. Replacement0metres made
11MINUTES PLAYED
0TACKLES MADE
7COMPLETE PASSES
-
Nikola Matawalu
23. Replacement25metres made
55MINUTES PLAYED
1TACKLES MADE
0COMPLETE PASSES
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