Glasgow Warriors v Stormers: Five takeaways as snubbed Lions and ‘old stager’ impress with the champions refinding their touch
Henco Venter and Rory Darge impressed for Glasgow Warriors.
Following a 36-18 win for Glasgow over the Stormers in Friday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final, here’s our five takeaways from Scotstoun.
The top line
Franco Smith’s outfit booked their ticket to the semi-finals of the competition as they pulled clear from the Stormers in the second half in a thoroughly deserved victory.
Scores from Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe (2), Henco Venter and George Horne, as well as the boot of the latter, steered the hosts past an injury-hit and disappointing Stormers.
The visitors, who dominated at scrum time, scored twice through Seabelo Senatla, but they were off key tonight and can have no complaints as they bow out of the URC.
Granted, they were minus several senior players and lost Salmaan Moerat and Daniel du Plessis early, and Suleiman Hartzenberg near the hour, but they were well beaten.
Champions refind winning touch
It’s been an unusually difficult period for the Warriors of late with their last United Rugby Championship win coming on April 19, but the mini drought was ended in style tonight.
They looked full of confidence as they shut down the Stormers’ attack and unleashed their own with intelligent plays and deadly line breaks causing all kinds of damage.
This result is just the shot in the arm Glasgow needed and they head into the semis purring. If a couple of injured stars return, another final could well be on the cards.
Scrum dominance
While Glasgow Warriors enjoyed success in several areas tonight, the scrum was definitely not one of those as the Stormers turned the screw in this facet of the game.
This will be a concern to Smith and his charges heading into next week as they will need to tighten up in that area as other teams will punish Glasgow on the scoreboard.
For the Stormers pack they can hold their heads high after this performance in the set-piece and they will no doubt feel they should have profited more from their dominance. However, handling errors and defensive lapses ultimately cost them dear and it was apparent later in the match they sorely missed their experienced heads in this game.
Old dog same tricks
What a showing from old stager Venter, who is likely bowing out at Scotstoun tonight. His return to the side was emphatic as he lives for knockout games such as this.
The 33-year-old, who is leaving the club at the end of the URC season, was his typical physical self and proved a nuisance to the Stormers in his try-scoring performance.
That first-half crossing was an intelligent score as he spotted the Stormers defenders folding to the openside of a ruck and then he timed his dart to the blindside perfectly.
The Glasgow faithful gave him a deserved rousing reception as he departed, possibly for the last time, late in the game. What a warrior, what a servant. He will be missed.
Lions snubs impress
Speaking of impressive performances and a couple of 2025 British & Irish Lions squad omissions, Tom Jordan and Darge, were outstanding among an in-form Warriors side.
Darge picked up the player of the match gong but in truth it could have gone to several players in black as plenty stepped up, with Jordan in particular such a threat on the gainline in another complete game from the versatile playmaker. He was unlucky not to hear his name at that Lions squad announcement and must be a on the standby list.
Darge, too, must be in the conversation should a back-row injury occur as the flanker was everywhere, providing an all-court game that would benefit the Lions in Australia.
