Glasgow beat Lions to end all SA involvement in Europe

Springbok Franco Smith snuffed out the last hope South Africa had of its continued participation in Europe.

His Glasgow Warriors team beat the Lions 31-21 in their Challenge Cup quarterfinal at Scotstoun on Saturday.

Earlier in the day the Sharks and Stormers were also beaten in their European Cup quarterfinals.

Jack Dempsey, Jamie Dobie, Zander Fagerson and Tom Jordan went over for Glasgow, with George Horne contributing 11 points from the tee.

The Lions were on top for large spells, but struggled to make their pressure count.

Sanele Nohamba, Francke Horn and Morné Brandon crossed for the South African outfit, as their debut European campaign came to an end at the hands of the Springbok-coached Scottish franchise.

Glasgow will play Scarlets at the Parc y Scarlets in the semifinal on the weekend of April 28/29/30.

The Lions suffered an early setback when wing Sibahle Maxwane collided with Matt Fagerson and was knocked out collided – carted off on a mobile stretcher.

Glasgow opened the scoring with a sublime line-out move – two fake mauls and quick hands that put Jack Dempsey over the whitewash. George Horner added the conversion – 7-0.

Towards the end of the first quarter, Glasgow scored their second try with another great move – Ollie Smith and Huw Jones producing some lighting hands to send Jamie Dobie in down the left. George Horne added the extras – 14-0.

For the next 20 minutes, the Lions constantly looked threatening and got into the Glasgow 22 several times, only to concede turnovers.

The best example of the Lions’ inability to turn their opportunities into points came seven minutes into first-half additional time – Sanele Nohamba reaching out to plant down after an extended period of pressure, but the TMO deems that it was a double movement.

It left the hosts taking that 14-0 lead into the half-time break.

The Lions had all the momentum in the opening exchanges of the second half, with scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba taking a quick-tap penalty and reaching out to plant down – legally this time – before converting his own score.

However, Glasgow replied quickly and in brutal fashion – stealing a Lions line-out five metres out and Zander Fagerson eventually forces his way over from close range.

The Lions stayed in the fight and more phase play allowed Francke Horn to launch into a barnstorming carry and finish superbly under pressure. Gianni Lombard converted – 14-21 with 15 minutes remaining.

A Horne penalty took it beyond a seven-point game, before Huw Jones broke the Lions’ defensive line and offloaded to Ollie Smith, who sent Tom Jordan over the whitewash. Horne was again on target – 31-14.

The Lions kept their slim hopes alive with a third try, as Morné Brandon squeezed over from a metre out. Lombard converted – 21-31 with just under three minutes to play.

However, that was the full-time score, despite another late flurry by the Lions.

The scorers

For Glasgow Warriors

Tries: Dempsey, Dobie, Z Fagerson, Jordan

Cons: Horne 4

Pen: Horne

For the Lions

Tries: Nohamba, Horn, Brandon

Cons: Nohamba, Lombard 2

Teams

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Oliver Smith, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Matt Fagerson, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Scott Cummings, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Jamie Bhatti.

Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Jean-Pierre du Preez, 20 Lewis Bean, 21 Tom Gordon, 22 Ali Price, 23 Tom Jordan.

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Sibahle Maxwane, 13 Manuel Rass, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jacobus Kriel, 5 Ruben Schoeman, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Pieter Botha, 1 Jean-Pierre Smith.

Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 Rhynardt Rijnsburger, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Travis Gordon, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Rynhardt Jonker, 23 Andries Coetzee.

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Assistant referees: Hamish Smales (England), Dan Jones (England)

TMO: Ian Tempest (England)