GLASGOW revealed their bubbling 'Warriors' spirit to Europe on Saturday to stun a full-strength Toulouse and claim the best result in Scotland's Heineken Cup history.
This glorious success trumped Edinburgh's fine first win in France, over Castres three months ago, because Toulouse are three-times Heineken Cup champions and currently a king-pin of European rugby. That it came a day after Edinburgh had sealed the double over Castres added to the feelgood factor in Scottish rugby.
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Watch a slideshow of pictures from the match here In tournament terms, the victory meant nothing to Glasgow, as their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals were dashed by early defeats to the Dragons and Toulouse, though it leaves the French club now needing a good win over Bath in England this weekend to seal a last eight spot they had thought was in the bag pre-Christmas.
But this was a special, quite unbelievable 80 minutes to watch. Glasgow put themselves into a terrific position when Graeme Morrison got to a Max Evans' grubber to score after 12 minutes and Kelly Brown finished off a scintillating try featuring the quite superb Evans', Max and Thom, and John Barclay, after 26 minutes. Dan Parks converted both and added two penalties and a neat drop-goal for a scarcely believable 23-3 half-time lead.
Toulouse sent on four substitutes at half-time, squeezing every bit of talent from a 22-man squad of 21 internationalists, but in a crucial third quarter the only in-roads they could make to a formidable visiting defence – take a bow defence coach Gary Mercer – was two Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde penalties. It was significant when Yannick Nyanga, a France Test star, was replaced on the hour-mark, having been wholly outplayed by John Barclay, who was himself just part of a tremendous back row display.
Ironically, Glasgow then lost Barclay to the sin-bin, largely for defending himself as a frustrated Ellisalde – also shown the yellow card - threw a flurry of punches at the flanker in response to a ball being kicked from a Toulouse scrum.
Ellisalde had slotted a third penalty before going off, the scrum-half having shifted to stand-off at half-time when Byron Kelleher, the All Black who revels in a challenge, replaced Frederic Michalak.
Parks missed the penalty given for Ellisalde's boxing, in a stadium now ringing with jeers, but the stand-off made amends with a 45-metre effort in the 66th minute. Then, incredibly, as Toulouse ramped up the pressure, Max Evans wrapped up a Glasgow victory. He got his toe to a loose ball around halfway, hacked on and when it bobbled away from Hefin O'Hare over the Toulouse line the speedy centre was on the spot to dive on the ball for a try easily confirmed by the television match official. Parks converted.
Against most teams, a lead of 33-9 with the clock ticking into the last ten minutes would easily be enough to canter to victory, but, with their great urgency, power-packed forward and back play and breathtaking verve in attack, Toulouse are the one team in world rugby that could defy such odds, and they certainly gave it a go.
They created four or five genuine try-scoring chances in a pulsating denouement; the Glasgow defence was finally burst open for two tries - one a penalty-try after a series of collapsed scrummages on the Glasgow line and the other involving a hint of crossing before Vincent Clerc broke through - but the other chances ran aground on the intensity and accuracy of Glasgow's tackling and breakdown work inside their own 22.
O'Hare's tackle on Clerc, which denied the winger another score – which, converted, would have pulled the scores to 33-30 with still four minutes remaining – underlined the mammoth team effort to hold on to an historic victory. Andy Henderson left just 15 minutes after he had come on, the victim of a yellow card as Glasgow piled into every breakdown to stop the hosts.
Gaffie Du Toit, the Springbok, missed a 78th minute penalty, Cedric Heymans spilled the ball in the tackle ten metres out and then Du Toit converted a penalty award. But, that was the final minute, and Du Toit's demeanour as the ball sailed between the uprights highlighted the disinterest in the bonus point the kick garnered. The final whistle blew, Toulouse players looked to the skies, stunned, a record of 15 straight wins ended; the first home defeat in nearly two years, by a lowly-ranked but near-impregnable Scottish team.
Lineen added: "We knew there would be a backlash, and sure enough it came. It was never a done deal until the final whistle - Toulouse have great strike runners all over the park and they can and will hurt you if they have a sight of the line.
"But I'm delighted with how we defended. We showed great character. Our team showed true 'Glasgow spirit' and it's about time we recorded a win like that. We ran Bath close twice and we knew we could perform on the biggest stage against the biggest teams. In Toulouse, we proved it and I'm just so proud of that performance."
As the Glasgow players recover today and begin to turn thoughts to the final Heineken Cup match of the season, at home to the Dragons on Friday night, the challenge they face is still one of consistency.
They proved on Saturday that they do have what it takes to beat them the best in European rugby – Toulouse and Munster at full-strength away from home inside a year - and the levels of work-rate, concentration and aggression they reached must be the targets they set every week from here on in.
Coaches and players talk of learning curves, and this is one major, confidence-boosting lesson they can grasp and put to good use in the coming months and years. Only then will Glasgow and Scottish rugby be able to ascertain the true worth of this historic day in Toulouse.
ScorersToulouse: Tries – Clerc, penalty; Pen – Ellisalde 3, Du Toit; Con – Jauzion, Du Toit.
Glasgow: Tries – Morrison, Brown, M Evans; Pens – Parks 3; Cons – Parks 3.
Toulouse: C Poitrenaud, V Clerc, M Kunavore, Y Jauzion, C Heymans; F Michalak, J-B Elissalde; J-B Poux, V Lacombe, S Perugini, R Millo-Chluski, P Albacete, J Bouilhou, S Sowerby, Y Nyanga.
Subs: A Vernet Basualdo for Lacombe 25mins, D Human for Poux, F Pelous for Millo-Chluski, F Fritz for Kunavore, B Kelleher for Michalak, all 40, G Lamboley for Nyanga 60, G du Toit for Ellisalde 74.
Glasgow: B Stortoni; J Maria Nunez Piossek, M Evans, G Morrison, T Evans; R Jackson, C Gregor; J Va'a, D Hall, M Low, D Turner, A Kellock (capt), J Eddie, K Brown, J Barclay.
Subs: J Beattie for Eddie 43mins, E Kalman for Va'a 52, R Vernon, J Beattie, D Parks, F Thomson for Hall, A Henderson for Morrison, H O'Hare for Nunez Piossek, all 60, R Vernon for Brown 75.
Ref: W Barnes (RFU). Att: 18,720.
Hadden hails victoriesSCOTLAND head coach Frank Hadden last night hailed Glasgow and Edinburgh after the most memorable Heineken Cup weekend ever for the nation's pro teams, writes David Kelso.
With less than three weeks to go until Hadden's side launch their Six Nations campaign, the coach admitted the victories over French opposition had given him plenty to think about in terms of selection.
Hadden, who is due to reveal his pre-tournament squad tomorrow, declared: "I was delighted with Glasgow's win in Toulouse on Saturday – especially as it came so soon after Edinburgh's success over Castres at Murrayfield. It wasn't only the results that were outstanding – it was the manner in which they were achieved.
"There is no doubt that a lot of players are putting their hands up for selection – and that is great from my point of view."
Meanwhile, speculation is rising that Glasgow will snap up Lions and Scotland scrum-half Chris Cusiter, whose contract with Perpignan expires at the end of the season.
Stevie Swindall is set to ease Edinburgh's back-row injury crisis by completing a loan deal from Glasgow.
He is likely to make a permanent move at the end of the season.
