At Firhill, a lapse in concentration at the beginning of the second half was all that really separated the Warriors from claiming a result against the reigning European Champions Leinster. In a spirited display, led by the outstanding Al Kellock who had his best game of the season so far, the Warriors were tireless in their work around the pitch, particularly at the breakdown where they didn't allow the likes of Sean O'Brien or Jamie Heaslip anywhere near the amount of ball they are accustomed to.
Duncan Weir was excellent at fly half, with his kicking boots very much on his feet. His excellent place kicking was backed up with some well considered kicks into space in around the pitch. For such a young player in such a crucial position, he showed real level headedness throughout the game, showing everyone that he should be the number one pick at Glasgow over Ruaridh Jackson. The competition for positions at Glasgow is refreshing to see, and head coach Sean Lineen has done an excellent job with his squad rotations to maintain a high quality of rugby. It's bittersweet for Lineen that he sees his two top fly halves selected for Scotland duty which could well undermine Glasgow's playoff hopes in the RaboDirect Pro12 league.
Duncan Weir produced a mature display against
champions Leinster
Stuart Hogg, after a shaky start, grew into the game well, with one particularly chase and catch from a Duncan Weir up-and-under being a particular highlight. Richie Gray had a very good game, setting his stall out early by nicking the first Leinster lineout after a few minutes. His ball carrying was excellent, covering every inch of the pitch.
Ultimately, Glasgow came up short, losing 16-23 and as a result, fail to qualify for the quarter finals of the competition. With a win away at Bath next week however, there is every incentive to make it into the Amlin Cup.
Friday night saw Edinburgh travel to Paris to take on Racing Metro 92. The return fixture at Murrayfield saw one of the greatest games ever in the Heineken Cup when Edinburgh staged the biggest comeback in competition history to win 46-45.
It may have been ambitious to hope for the same, but both teams went out looking for tries. With the game tied after 3 converted tries each, it was Phil Godman who showed the composure to kick a 35 yard drop goal in the dying seconds to clinch a 24-21 victory.
Scottish victories in France are rare gems indeed, and this one meant that Edinburgh had pipped Racing on both occasions with an aggregate score over two games of 73-69.
The hunt for the quarter finals is still very much on, and provided they beat London Irish at Murrayfield next week, regardless of Cardiff's result, should mean they qualify as either group winners or one of the two highest scoring second placed teams with 21/22 points.
So both clubs are flying high either domestically or in Europe, and rarely do both prosper simultaneously. With Glasgow fielding a 100% Scottish side on Sunday, it goes to show the strength in depth that Scotland is amassing as we head into the international season.
The key for the SRU now is to hold on to that talent and keep it in Scotland. They let a big fish through the net with Richie Gray securing a deal at Sale from next season, but lessons like that must be learnt if we are to see our players progress and play with each other over the coming years.
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