Glasgow Warriors delighted with reaction in Champions Cup victory over Bayonne
Glasgow Warriors back-row Ally Miller.
After starting their Champions Cup campaign with a home defeat to Northampton, Glasgow Warriors bounced back with a hard-fought victory against Bayonne on Friday night.
Franco Smith’s troops suffered a disappointing 28-19 loss to the Saints in their tournament opener last weekend but were deserved 12-11 winners at Stade Jean Dauger outfit, with number eight Ally Miller and full-back Josh McKay scoring the Scottish outfit’s tries while Ross Thompson slotted one conversion.
For the home side, Facundo Bosch crossed the whitewash and Camille Lopez succeeded with a couple of penalties.
First Glasgow Warriors try for Miller
It was Miller’s first try for the Warriors since he joined them from Edinburgh in 2021 and he is delighted with the way they got their Champions Cup campaign on track.
“It was definitely a strong reaction to last week’s result and it was fun, real fun out there. We knew the crowd would be crazy and it was all about trying to silence them,” he said.
“We did a good job of that. We talked a lot about last weekend in the build up to the game and we knew it would be a big challenge.”
The victory moves Glasgow into third spot in Pool Three, with Northampton setting the pace after also beating Toulon on Friday, with second-placed Exeter Chiefs and Munster, who are in fifth spot, still to play on Sunday.
It was a momentous occasion for Miller against Bayonne as it was his first start of the season but he took his opportunity and his try capped a fine all-round performance.
“George Turner took the last man out and I took on their wing on the outside. He didn’t have the legs and I cheekily tried to run around to the posts,” said the 27-year-old.
‘Good team performance’
“I’ve played sevens for Scotland and it was just part of a good team performance. We tried to get the ball wide and it worked out.
“We were all proud to put in a good performance for the fans who travelled out to watch us. There is a lot more to come from us.”
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