THE same team that helped launch Glasgow's attack on the RaboDirect PRO12 title last season may have destroyed it this campaign, after the Dragons gave Gregor Townsend's side a lesson in taking chances.
It was not simply a case of Warriors losing a second successive home match last night. There was also the embarrassment of being beaten by team expected to battling to avoid last place in the league, and the fact the hosts failed even to collect a losing bonus point.
Last season, it was a 60-point thrashing of the Welsh side that produced a sea-change in Glasgow's fortunes as they suddenly found the confidence to explode from being a plodding bunch into a team scoring tries for fun.
Last night's result could have an equally decisive effect in an opposite sense, and the grim expression on the face of the head coach at the end showed he knew that. "That was just not us," Townsend said. "There were none of the things we stand for. The way we played and the way we worked off the ball were poor. We came up against a team that were together and grew in confidence from our mistakes.
"Mistakes happen and when you are losing and have not played well, then players can maybe force things. But I am more concerned about the way we didn't put our bodies on the line and didn't work hard tracking back and chasing kicks: things we pride ourselves on. Maybe because we scored in the first minute we relaxed but you can never relax against anybody. It is the players' responsibility to play for the 80 minutes."
Almost as frustrating, from a Scotland international point of view, was seeing Stuart Hogg out on the field. He would have been a certainty for the full-back role in the national side for the Autumn Test series had he not broken his wrist last month.
Just in case anyone had forgotten just what Hogg can bring to a game, he made sure he provided an example in the opening minutes.
The Dragons were already down to 14 men. A tip tackle on Rob Harley almost straight from the kick-off earned Pat Leach, the Dragons centre, a spell in the sin-bin and provided Glasgow with a perfect attacking opportunity.
DTH van der Merwe, usually a wing but playing centre such was the shortage of backs in the Glasgow squad once international demands and injuries had been taken into account, spotted the gap and put Hogg away on a race down the touchline. He sped past the first line of defence and timed his pass perfectly to put Niko Matawalu, playing wing for this match, on a canter down the touchline to score.
However, Henry Pyrgos sent the conversion wide and Glasgow were made to pay by the Dragons fly-half, Jason Tovey, who landed two long- range penalties to ensure the Welsh outfit held a narrow lead by the time they were back to full strength.
This seemed to give the Dragons the confidence they needed to try to open out and play with adventure. With Tovey controlling field position effectively, they were dominating play but it took a controversial call from referee Peter Fitzgibbon for them to take advantage, and it was one that underlined why it is so important that the PRO12 organisers arrange television coverage of all these games.
Glasgow had lost the ball on their own 10-yard line and it was hacked through almost to their try line. Matawalu seemed to have the position covered but, as he tried to beat the cover, the ball slipped out of his grasp and rolled over the line. Three Glasgow players threw themselves at it, but Fitzgibbon ruled that Tovey's fingertips had beaten all of them and, without a television replay, there was no possibility of his decision being reviewed.
Glasgow did manage to cut the deficit with a Pyrgos penalty early in the second half but were still struggling for continuity and showing none of the fluidity that characterised their play last season.
Even when their opponents went down to 13 men at one stage, with Matt Pewtner, the wing, and Netani Talei, the No.8, both in the sin bin, Glasgow not only failed to take advantage but also coughed up a score. Tovey was again the orchestrator, putting in an inch perfect cross kick that caught the home defence napping to gibe Will Harries an easy touchdown.
Even then, Glasgow might have won but shocking handling meant they threw away three clear changes and in the end it was left to Tovey to seal the deal with a late drop goal.
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