The Warriors lead the Celtic League table, but losing nine players to World Cup duty and key members Jonny Bryant and Nick Kelly to injury proved too much as they fell to a clinical Scottish side. Wales legend Neil Jenkins opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a penalty goal, and added another on the 20-minute mark as poor handling ruined chances for both sides. Opposite number Calvin Howarth halved the margin with a short-range shot from in front, and Glasgow could have taken a surprise lead when Sean Lamont intercepted a Jenkins pass and raced for the try-line 75 metres away.Unfortunately for the Scottish winger, he was being chased by Tongan Aisea Havili – one of the fastest men in world rugby – and he was dragged down metres short. Howarth had the final say of the first 40 minutes, and his penalty goal meant the sides went into the changing rooms with six points each, and the Brewery Field crowd still waiting for the first try. It didn’t take long for the second half to provide them with one, but there weren’t many cheers when it happened. Some slick passing in the backline brought Glasgow into the enemy’s 22, and the power of backrower and skipper Cammie Mather was too much for the home defence as he went over for a five-pointer. Barely 2 minutes later, Howarth spotted a yawning gap around the fringes of a ruck and went over untouched. He missed the conversion again, but the Scottish side were sitting on a 16-6 only 8 minutes into the second half. Jenkins and Howarth swapped penalty goals, but the Warriors’ inability to hold on to the ball in the tackle situation proved fatal.
