A moment of personal and collective triumph for Stafford McDowall proved decisive as Glasgow Warriors mounted a stunning comeback to defeat Sale Sharks 26-21 in their Investec Champions Cup opener at the Salford Community Stadium.
Sale's Strong Start Unravels
On a bitterly cold Friday night, Sale Sharks, despite being without a host of England internationals, began with fierce intent. They crossed the try line inside two minutes, captain Ernst van Rhyn powering over from close range, with Rob du Preez adding the conversion.
The home side's momentum continued when replacement Ollie Davies, on for the injured Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, scored a superb debut Champions Cup try. A break from Arron Reed and a clever inside pass sent the 19-year-old clear. Du Preez's second conversion established a commanding 14-0 lead for Alex Sanderson's injury-hit side.
Warriors Fight Back with Ferocity
Glasgow, packed with Scotland internationals, weathered the early storm and began to assert themselves. Their pressure told just before the break with two quickfire tries. First, hooker Gregor Hiddleston was driven over, before flanker Rory Darge dived in from close range. Adam Hastings's conversion cut the deficit to just two points at half-time.
The Scottish side carried that momentum straight into the second half. A poor Sale box kick was pounced on by Kyle Steyn, who outpaced the defence to score. Hastings converted to put Glasgow ahead for the first time.
McDowall's Milestone Moment
The pivotal moment arrived in the 54th minute. Capitalising on more disjointed Sale defence, centre Stafford McDowall, celebrating his 100th appearance for the Warriors, cantered through a gap to score the bonus-point try. This completed a devastating run of 26 unanswered points by the visitors.
Sale managed a late rally, with Marius Louw scoring a converted try after good work from Tom O’Flaherty, setting up a tense finale at 26-21. However, Glasgow held firm to secure a vital away victory, condemning Sale to a second consecutive home defeat following their collapse against Exeter the previous week.
Consequences for Both Sides
For Glasgow, this bonus-point win represents the perfect start to their European campaign, showcasing resilience and clinical finishing. For Sale Sharks, the defeat extends a worrying slump. Having now lost five of their last seven games across all competitions, and with their home fortress breached again, director of rugby Alex Sanderson faces a significant challenge to reverse the trend.
The absence of key players like George Ford, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, and Luke Cowan-Dickie was keenly felt, but Sanderson will be deeply concerned by how his side relinquished a strong lead for the second week running.
