Glasgow had cobbled together a side by scraping players off their sickbeds, so this was a truly remarkable result. They played committed, skilful and sometimes passionate rugby, resolute in defence and quick-witted going forward. Frankly, after this performance coach Sean Lineen should start scouring the medical textbooks for other ailments to spread around his squad.

Some allowance should be made for the fact Cardiff were missing a handful of top names to injury, but it should not take the gloss off Glasgow’s achievement. In Thom Evans, Lineen’s side had by far the most dangerous runner on the pitch, the winger’s
contribution shading a Cardiff backline that included such supposed luminaries as Gareth Thomas, Leigh Halfpenny and Tom Shanklin.

Dan Parks delivered a sublime tactical performance as well, ably assisted on the outside by the fast-improving Dave McCall and a rejuvenated Rob Dewey. And as clever as Glasgow were in attack, they were also marvellously res-
olute in defence, tracking back in numbers every time Cardiff threatened to break out. After two consecutive Magners League defeats, this result did not just put Glasgow back on the rails, it gave them a head of steam as they start their preparations for the Heineken Cup next week.

Colin Gregor put in a lovely shift, too, filling in at scrum-half after Chris Cusiter succumbed to the flu epidemic. That said, he hardly made the most prop-itious first contribution when, breaking from his own half, he failed to spot Evans hammering up in support with not a Cardiff defender in sight. With the game just 20 minutes old at that point, and Glasgow already leading by two Parks penalties, the try that Evans would surely have delivered would have had an emphatic effect on the pattern.

The single most influential factor in that opening quarter had been Cardiff’s ham-fistedness in possession. Glasgow deserved huge credit for putting pressure on their hosts’ possession, but Cardiff seemed well capable of making a pig’s ear of things even without those attentions. Halfpenny, a Wales star last season, was partic-ularly culpable, coughing up ball with what seemed almost real enthusiasm at times.

In fairness, the weather was truly filthy at times, but it was no credit to Cardiff that they played the conditions so badly, especially as lashing rain is not exactly a novelty in Wales at this time of year. Glasgow, by contrast, decided that yards were more important than possession, and they played a clever tactical game, with Parks kicking deep into Cardiff territory time and again.

Parks had opened Glasgow’s account with his first penalty in the third minute and he doubled their advantage 14 minutes later when Cardiff were a little too enthusiastic, and a lot too conspicuous, with their hands in a ruck. At that point, their lead was a preposterous reflection of the general pattern of the game, but a fair reward for their more astute approach.

The sense that nothing was going right for Cardiff was re-inforced when No 8 Adam Powell tried a showboater’s dropped goal attempt from 40 metres -- a decent effort as it happened, but the sort of thing a forward generally goes in for when his side are leading by 30 points, not trailing by six. Next, the hapless Halfpenny squirted an easy penalty effort wide, provoking groans of disbelief from the home support.

Parks wasn’t exactly at his best, missing penalty efforts of his own in the 29th and 36th minutes. But the fly-half’s blushes were to be spared soon afterwards when Evans produced what may have been the worst dropped goal attempt in history, a horrible sclaff that was launched from around 35 metres out and was already on the ground before it crossed the 22.

Evans, though, clearly takes these things to heart. For the first time in the match, Glasgow had actually taken up residence in Cardiff territory and had begun to prod dangerously around the fringes. With the interval looming, Parks placed a delicate chip behind the Cardiff defence, and Evans raced in for his try. The score itself looked a little clumsy, persuading referee George Clancy to consult the video official, but the replays showed that the winger’s touch had been good.

At 11-0, Glasgow’s interval lead could be cause for satisfaction, but not complacency. Helpfully, however, Cardiff were as execrable in the third quarter as they had been in the first two, and Glasgow settled into a groove where they dictated play. Cardiff churned around the 22 
willingly enough, but never really seemed to summon any great threat beyond that. Even the Cardiff supporters were obliged to hail the Scots’ qualities in defence, although it would be pushing it to say Glasgow had been stretched to anything near breaking point.

And just when it seemed Cardiff had run out of ideas, Glasgow conjured some 
ingenuity of their own. In the 64th minute, a Cardiff move broke down deep in Glasgow territory, the ball was whacked upfield and a deft offload from Evans allowed Johnnie Beattie to canter 40 yards for his side’s second try. Parks, who had by then added his third penalty, converted with ease.

By this point, Glasgow could afford to empty their bench to give their replacements some game time. Cardiff took the chance to string together a few phases at last, and flanker Sam Warburton barrelled over for a consolation try. It was not quite an undeserved score, but it was not a particularly significant one either. Glasgow’s recuperation was complete.

 

Cardiff Blues: L Halfpenny; R Mustoe, T Shanklin, G Evans, G Thomas; C Sweeney, G Cooper; J Yapp, G Williams, G Powell, D Jones, P Tito (captain), S Warburton, R Sowden-Taylor, A Powell. Replacements: D Morris for Powell (63), R Williams for G Williams (77), B Davies for Jones (49), S Morgan for Tito (69), D Flanagan for Mustoe (68), C Czekaj for Evans (65).

Glasgow: B Stortoni; R Dewey, D McCall, G Morrison, T Evans; D Parks, C Gregor; J Welsh, D Hall, M Low, T Barker, A Kellock (captain), R Vernon, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: P Macarthur for Hall (69), K Tkachuk for Welsh (48), D Turner for Barker (48), C Forrester for Beattie (70), P Horne for Morrison (78), H O’Hare for Dewey (63), DTH van der Merwe for Evans (69).

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland)