When Finn Russell dumped Jean-Marc Doussain on the turf, there might have been a question about the colour of card he was going to be shown, but 10 minutes later there were no arguments about its price.

When Finn Russell dumped Jean-Marc Doussain on the turf, there might have been a question about the colour of card he was going to be shown, but 10 minutes later there were no arguments about its price. While the Glasgow Warriors fly-half spent 10 minutes in the bin for his dangerous tackle, Toulouse piled on 13 points, pretty much putting the game beyond Glasgow??s reach in the process.

Even if Russell deserved to walk, it was harsh punishment for Glasgow was a whole. Throughout, they played with dash and courage, their scramble defence was outstanding and they were still battling right at the end. The will have rued so many things as they flew home to their home city last night, but there would have been optimism and excitement in the party as well.

Toulouse showed some of their old menace when they sniffed Glasgow??s blood in the Stade Ernest-Wallon yesterday afternoon, but there is no question that the Scots are capable of reversing the result in the return match at Scotstoun next Saturday. Yes, they will have to work on the issues of discipline that left them at the wrong end of a 14-5 penalty count here, but they looked sharp and eager, confident and undaunted, as they went toe-to-toe with the European champions.

Glasgow will also have to work on their breakdown efficiency. Even if they were up against a world-class back row, they were turned over too often and too easily by Toulouse. It hardly helped that they lost openside flanker Chris Fusaro with a suspected ankle injury early in the game, but it was worrying stuff for Gregor Townsend and his fellow coaches to watch.

Against that, they did operate far better than expected in the scrum and they humbled the Toulouse lineout a number of times in the first half. It may be no coincidence that their flattest period, in the third quarter, also coincided with the time when Jonny Gray, the workhorse lock, was absent for treatment for a blood injury.

Josh Strauss also picked up a head knock that may have taken an edge off his performance in the second half. Strauss was injured late in the first half and was deemed fit to continue during the interval, but his trademark charges round the fringes not quite as damaging as they had been in the earliest stages of the game.

The six-day turnaround time before the return game will do neither team any favours, but the side that travels is always likely to be the more disadvantaged. Toulouse showed glimpses of their old class at times in this game, but some of their top names looked a little jaded as well. Glasgow??s players will be champing at their bits to get another shot at them.

Certainly, there was no questioning the gusto with which Glasgow set about their task. Glasgow have profited from laying down markers early in games, and that was clearly their mindset here as well. Within the first 10 minutes, they had worked some superb positions, churning and recycling possession with all their customary efficiency, but the first signs of the indiscipline that would cost them so dear later in the game were provided when Ryan Grant was twice penalised for failing to release the ball in the tackle.

However, even at that stage there were glimpses of the slickness and fluidity Toulouse could summon in their counter-attacks. Yann David, the powerful centre, put in a vivid blast of running up the middle of the field, sounding alarm bells on the Glasgow defence with every stride. The Warriors coped with the immediate threat, but the opposition led to a scrum, and then a penalty, from which scrum-half Sebastien Bezy kicked the first points for Toulouse.

The suspicion at that point was that even a slight advantage would take the early edginess off Toulouse??s game and they would settle into their performance. However, settling was the one thing they were never going to achieve when Glasgow stripped them of possession so easily on the touchlines. Denied that platform, Toulouse played in fits and starts, and it was no great surprise when Glasgow levelled the scores with a Russell penalty, won in a scrum, after 24 minutes.

Toulouse??s lineout woes also gave Russell confidence to pin them back in the corners, which he did with some superb touch-finding kicks. On the ball, Toulouse looked impressive; their problem was getting hold of the thing. However, when Russell put that huge blot on his copy book with his rash tackle on Doussain, the whole shape of the game was, rather like the French fly-half, turned on its head.

From the resulting penalty, Bezy kicked another three points. Just before the break, he sent his third kick over to take the score to 9-3. Glasgow were still within reach, but their grip on the game was to be loosened in the dramatic opening moments of the second period.

Well aware that their opponents were still short-handed, Toulouse poured forward. From a ruck near the Glasgow 22, they moved the ball left and Doussain threaded a lovely grubber kick through the line of the Glasgow defence. The outside backs still looked to have it covered, but Maxime Medard grabbed the ball just short of the try line and toppled over to score.

On his return, Russell did cut the gap to 16-6 with a penalty in the 54th minute, but it was opened out again 10 minutes later when Leone Nakarawa became the second Glasgow player to be sent to the sin bin ?? for a loose boot at a ruck ?? and Bezy struck with his fourth penalty.

Niko Matawalu grabbed a consolation try two minutes from the end for Glasgow, but Duncan Weir could not land the conversion that would have brought a loser??s bonus point. On Saturday, however, you wouldn??t bet against them gaining sweet revenge.