Glasgow beat Racing to seal Champions Cup knockout spot

Champions Cup

Glasgow (22) 29

Tries: Horne, Dobie, Cancelliere, Tuipulotu, Darge Cons: Horne, Jordan

Racing 92 (7) 19

Glasgow Warriors booked their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup with a clinical destruction of Racing 92 at Scotstoun.

First-half tries from George Horne, Jamie Dobie, Sebastian Cancelliere and Sione Tuipulotu put the hosts in control, with Vinaya Habosi responding for the French side.

After the break, Rory Darge crossed, but Glasgow equaled with a crucial bonus-point victory over Lee-Marvin Mazibuko and Tristan Tedder when Lee-Marvin Mazibuko and Tristan Tedder responded back.

Warriors will take on English Premiership side Harlequins at the Stoop on Saturday to ensure a more advantageous draw in the following round.

With only two minutes left before the race, they flew out of the blocks and crossed the Racing line.

Tuipulotu broke the record for try-scorers in European competition with a magnificent break from deep, and Josh McKay’s fine handling made it happen a few phases later to put Horne away under the sticks.

Dobie made his mark quickly after being forced to leave the field for a head injury assessment and not returning, getting on the end of Matt Fagerson’s powerful burst to dive over for the second try.

Cancelliere was free to score when Warriors’ midfield squatted up and carved up the Racing defense.

Five minutes before the break, Antoine Gibert’s crossfield kick allowed Habosi to score and reduce the deficit to ten points.

Tuipulotu jumped onto the ball like a battering ram to break through the defense, pass Henry Arundell, and dive over for a 15-point lead at the break.

When Darge peeled off the back of a rolling line-out maul to score try number five, the home side almost came to a close.

Then, thanks to a try from Mazibuko, Racing enjoyed their first sustained period of pressure.

Tedder finished off a lovely play with a late try for the Parisians after they had tardily arrived at the party.

Glasgow’s five points, however, made it too little too late, to keep their European challenge in the knockout stages.

Glasgow: McKay, Cancelliere, Jones, Tuipulotu, Steyn, Jordan, G Horne, Sutherland, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Mann.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Bhatti, Talakai, Samuel, Miller, Ferrie, Dobie, Weir.

Racing 92: Spring, Habosi, Tedder, Chavancy, Arundell, Gibert, Le Bail, Julien, Kaitu’u, Sordoni, Palu, Kpoku, Zinzen, Diallo, Baudonne.