Glasgow Warriors claimed their place in the European Challenge Cup knockout phase with an impressive show of pace and power that yielded all five points.
The Warriors were behind twice in the opening 13 minutes but once they had settled into the winning rhythm that has become their habit of late, they rarely looked troubled.
The impressive six-try show was enough to see off the beleaguered hosts, whose recent difficulties were in evidence as a young side failed to cope with the Warriors’ exuberance and flair for much of the game, and despite leading twice never looked likely to topple the visitors.
Warriors coach Franco Smith is keen to expand the strength of his squad, and he took this opportunity to reshuffle the side, with only three of the team that had triumphed over URC champions DHL Stormers at Scotstoun the previous week involved last night.
The changes included the return from injury of Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes and Thomas Gordon. It is a sign of the depth at Smith’s disposal at centre that he was able to rest Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu and replace them with another full international in the shape of Johnson and an age group cap in Stafford McDowall who was also handed the captaincy.
In the home camp, the match was a welcome relief after a week of turmoil that had seen a player revolt following suggestions that the coaching team might lose their jobs after a fourth successive league defeat had seen the side become detached at the foot of the Top 14 table.
There was an additional blow when team captain Mathieu Acebes was banned for nine weeks for headbutting an opponent during the recent defeat against La Rochelle.
With the focus on securing top- flight survival, the Catalans – having lost their previous two Challenge Cup fixtures and with little chance of qualifying for the next stage – used the match to offer game time to fringe players and to blood several promising youngsters.
They set off with a point to prove and were first on the scoresheet. A high tackle by Ollie Smith earned the Warriors winger a yellow card and the resulting penalty to touch provided the platform for a cross-kick that allowed Matteo Rodor to pick out Eddie Sawailau for the try.
The visitors responded with a similar move – the penalty to touch producing a surge that ended with the ball flicked to Johnson who darted in. Domingo Miotti converted but was replaced shortly after by Duncan Weir.
Perpignan regained the lead in 12 minutes when Nino Seguela took an inside pass and kicked ahead then just pipped Josh McKay in the race to the line.
Again Warriors wasted no time in responding. Smith, who was looking lively after his return to the fray was foiled just short of the whitewash but Richie Gray was on hand to complete the job. Weir added the extras for a two-point lead.
The Warriors line-out was the platform for try No.3. Jack Dempsey was brought down just short, but the ball found its way to McDowall who dotted down between the sticks to leave Weir a simple conversion.
The quest was already on for a bonus point and came with just over half-an-hour gone. An overthrow by Perpignan at a line-out inside their own half was snaffled by Johnny Matthews who barged past two defenders to score and leave Weir a straightforward conversion for a 28-12 lead at half time.
The hosts clawed their way back into the match when Rodor squeezed his way over, then booted the conversion to leave the gap at nine points entering the final quarter. That raised home hopes, but their aspirations were quelled when Smith showed his pace to dart in at the corner. And the game was put to bed with 16 minutes left when Johnson fired out a long pass to McKay who completed the job, with Weir again landing the conversion.
The hosts finished the game strongly and bagged their first point of the competition when Posolo Tuilagie forced his way over from a close-range line-out to secure the four-try bonus. Rodor’s conversion was too little too late to have any impact on the result, but it will have given Perpignan heart for the bigger challenges that lie ahead.
Scorers, USAP – Tries: Sawailau, Seguela, Rodor, Tuilagi. Cons: Rodor 3
Glasgow Warriors – Tries: Johnson, Gray, McDowall, Matthews, Smith, McKay. Cons: Miotti, Weir 4.
USAP: B Goutard: N Seguela (K Desrues 70), A Taumoepeau, P Fernandez, E Sawailau (L Pichon 40); M Rodor, T Ecochard (c); X Chiocci (G Tetrasshvili 48), V Montgaillard (M Tadjer 48), A Fakatika (V Jincharadze 48), B Chinarro (P Tuilagi 48) A Mahu (A Bouthier 70), T Ramasibana, E Bertheau, V Moro.
Glasgow Warriors: J McKay; C Forbes, S McDowall (c), S Johnson (S Kennedy 42-53), O Smith; D Miotti (D Weir 11), J Dobie (S Kennedy 67); N McBeth, J Matthews (A Fraser 62), L Sordoni (S Berghan 48), JP du Preez, R Gray (A Samuel 62), E Ferrie, C Neild (T Gordon 48), J Dempsey.
Referee: Craig Evans
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