Glasgow fought back to topple record six-time European Rugby Champions Cup winners Toulouse 28-21 on Saturday as Antoine Dupont made his first start in more than eight months.
Earlier, France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert scored 16 points as holders Bordeaux-Begles hammered the Scarlets 50-21 to maintain their 100 percent start to the Champions Cup season.
In the late game in Glasgow, the Scottish hosts trailed 21-0 at the break with Dupont, who had made just two substitute appearances since suffering a knee injury in March, in full flow.
Photo: AFP
In driving rain at Scoutstoun, the French side collapsed after the interval to lose their first Champions Cup group game since January 2022.
Glasgow moved to the top of Pool 1 having beaten Sale in the opening round last weekend. Toulouse are third.
“When we scored after half-time, I thought something might be brewing,” Glasgow center Sione Tuipulotu told reporters. “I’ve got so much respect for that Toulouse team and everything they’ve achieved.”
“That’s one of the great home victories for us, and it’s amazing to be a part of,” he added.
France superstar Dupont helped fire Toulouse to a 21-0 lead after 36 minutes, scoring himself and then setting up center Kalvin Gourgues for the first of his two tries.
Seconds before the break, Toulouse winger Ange Capuozzo was inches from claiming the bonus point, but put his foot in touch as he attempted to dive over.
Momentum changed after the interval with tries from full-back Josh McKay, back-rower Gregor Brown and Tuipulotu bringing the sides level, and generating the belief that the Warriors could secure a first win over Toulouse since 2009.
Dupont was replaced with 10 minutes left and seconds later, Glasgow’s replacement hooker Seb Stephen crashed over from a rolling maul. Fly-half Adam Hastings kicked a fourth straight conversion to claim victory.
Elsewhere, Bordeaux-Begles head coach Yannick Bru said Jalibert had performed “magic tricks” after the mercurial 27-year-old scored two tries and slotted three conversions as the French club remained top of Pool 4 having beaten the Bulls in South Africa last weekend.
Jalibert’s highlights were an assist to Tiaan Jacobs’s try and a solo effort.
“It’s great, when things are tight and we’re not controlling things, Matthieu pulls out a magic trick,” Bru told reporters. “Right now he’s full of confidence, he tries things.”
“We’re happy to have him,” Bru added.
In the same group, two-time winners Munster beat Gloucester 31-3 in front of 35,000 people at the Gaelic sports stadium Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork, Ireland, to bounce back from a hammering at Bath, England, a week earlier.
The Stormers ran in six tries to see off a youthful La Rochelle side 42-21, while South Africa captain Siya Kolisi scored as the Sharks edged three-time winners the Saracens 28-23.
The Stormers’ second win in a row put them top of Pool 3 ahead of four-time winners Leinster, who beat Leicester 23-15 on Friday.
La Rochelle, who beat English side Leicester in their opener last week, lie third in Pool 3.
The Saracens are second in Pool 1 despite their loss to the Sharks, with Sale in fourth after they bounced back from last week’s home defeat to Glasgow to win 35-14 at Clermont, for their first victory at Stade Marcel Michelin since 2008.
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