Glasgow impress with bonus-point win at Sale in Champions Cup opener

Investec Champions Cup

Sale (14) 21

Tries: Van Rhyn, Davies, Louw Cons: Du Preez 3

Glasgow (12) 26

Tries: Hiddleston, Darge, Steyn, McDowall Cons: Hastings 3

Glasgow Warriors enjoyed a dream opening night in the Champions Cup with a bonus-point win away at Sale Sharks.

With the wind at their backs, Sale started the better of the two sides and raced into a 14-0 lead inside 20 minutes through Ernst van Rhyn and teenage debutant Ollie Davies.

But Glasgow responded well and hit back with two tries of their own before the break through Gregor Hiddleston and Rory Darge.

Further tries from Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall pushed Glasgow 26-14 ahead before Marius Louw replied as Sale threatened a late rally but the visitors held on for a precious away win.

The two sides were also in the same pool in last year's competition when Glasgow won 38-19 at Scotstoun, and this second victory in as many years is a significant early blow to Sale's hopes of progressing.

Sale skipper Van Rhyn went over from close range to give the hosts the lead after only two minutes before Alex Sanderson's men were forced into an early change when centre Rekeiti Ma'asi-White was forced off with an injury.

That brought 19-year-old Davies into the action for a Champions Cup debut and his impact was immediate.

Slotting into fly-half with Rob du Preez going to centre, he ran a good supporting line to Arron Reed's break and took the full-back's offload to run in for a try just a few moments after coming on to make it 14-0.

With the wind and rain swirling around the CorpAcq Stadium, Glasgow went to the set-piece to get a foothold back in the game and after catching the line-out the visitors drove over the line with hooker Hiddleston the man to claim the score.

Glasgow reduced the deficit further just before the break when Darge bundled over and Adam Hastings slotted the conversion to make it 14-12 at half-time.

Glasgow took the lead for the first time two minutes into the second period after a poor Raffi Quirke box-kick was allowed to bounce then collected by number eight Jack Dempsey, who popped it back to Steyn for the skipper to burst through a weak tackle and race away to the line.

Now well in the ascendancy, Glasgow grabbed the bonus point on 54 minutes when McDowall ran through Du Preez's attempted tackle to score on his 100th appearance as Franco Smith's side racked up 26 unanswered points.

But just as Sale looked out of it they gave themselves a lifeline. Tom O'Flaherty almost got through a gap but when he was pulled down the ball was recycled and Louw showed good footwork to cross the whitewash, with Du Preez's conversion making it 26-21 with 13 minutes remaining.

Sale were given one last opportunity to take an unlikely win after kicking a penalty into Glasgow's corner but they lost the line-out and with it the game.

Glasgow's Rory Darge told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"Last week I was talking about the importance of winning away in Europe. If you want to do well in this competition you have got to do well away from home and win, so we are delighted with that.

"We have come here before and done that (come back from 14-0 down) so that belief comes from having done it before. It's not the end of the world but we don't want to give every team a 14-0 head start, so there are things we can do better.

"The wind was a factor, the kicks were hanging in the air so the work in the first half against the wind paid dividends in the second.

"It's a cliche but you have to take it week by week, and we have Toulouse at home next week. Sale away then Toulouse, it doesn't get much tougher than that. We are looking forward to going against one of the best teams in Europe."

Sale need to regroup ahead of a trip to Clermont next Saturday while Glasgow host six-time winners Toulouse.

The sides are in a strong Pool One which also includes Saracens and Durban-based South African side the Sharks.

Sale: Reed; O'Flaherty, Ma'asi-White, Louw, Wills; Du Preez, Quirke; McIntyre, Jibulu, John, Burrow, Bamber, Vermeulen, Van Rhyn, T Curry.

Replacements: Caine, Onasanya, Harper, Andrews, B Curry, Warr, Davies, Wehr.

Glasgow: McKay; Steyn, McDowall, Tuipulotu, Smith; Hastings, Horne; McBeth, Hiddleston, Z Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Stephen, Sutherland, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Miller, Dobie, Lancaster.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)

Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco Baque (France) and Julien Caulier (France)

TMO: Tual Trainini (France)