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'I have had a look and there is clearly forearm to the throat' - Fend gone wrong costs Glasgow victory

By Online Editors
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Glasgow coach Dave Rennie felt his players deserved to win their Champions Cup tie with La Rochelle rather than suffer a narrow defeat.

The Warriors lost 12-7 and now face a tough task to qualify for the knockout stages.

The hosts took an early lead with a smartly executed line-out drive over for hooker Fraser Brown to touch down, with Adam Hastings converting.

La Rochelle kept on their shoulder with a try from winger Jules Favre and took the lead five minutes from the break when centre Levani Botia touched down, with Brock James converting.

Rennie felt his side were one pass short of scoring on many occasions and they paid the price.

Rennie said: “We had all the ball at the right end of the park in the second half.

“We created so many opportunities – but you have to turn them into points. There were so many occasions where one more pass and you are over!”

He pointed at how the Warriors had let themselves down in the first half, saying: “We are disappointed that we let in two soft scores.

“We didn’t deal very well with the wind. We let them win all the little barriers around the ariel play and stuff on the deck.”

In the final moments of the game Glasgow lock Scott Cummings had seemed to score the winning try, only for referee Wayne Barnes to have his attention drawn by the to an incident in the build-up involving Glasgow number eight Matt Fagerson.

The try was disallowed and Fagerson shown a red card.

Rennie said: “I have had a look and there is clearly forearm to the throat. It is an attempted fend and he hasn’t quite got it right.

“To not get the try was disappointing – but we created so many other opportunities – just lacked patience at times.”

There was a period around 60 minutes when Glasgow pressed close to the La Rochelle line and were awarded eight penalties, but came away with nothing.

Rennie said: “That was a massive amount of penalties in succession.

“We thought that the yellow card from Wayne Barnes might have come earlier (to scrum-half Alexi Bales). But if you are getting away with it you keep doing it.”

Scarlets urgent meeting with Brad Mooar: