DON'T worry too much about the result.
It was only a pre-season warm-up and though there was a vague feeling of irritation around the Glasgow camp at the way they let a nine-point lead slip in the final minutes, there was a lot more satisfaction at the way they had played the rest of the match.
After all, Harlequins had arrived at Scotstoun with a near-full-strength line-up, crammed with almost all their star names from the England international side. Glasgow, meanwhile, went with what could euphemistically be described as an experimental team, with only three players significantly involved in Scotland's summer tour as part of the run-on XV.
"Condition-wise we looked really good," was the verdict from Gregor Townsend, the coach. "You want to win every game you play and there were a few reminders of things you have to do to win games but I am generally pleased with where we are. We knew there was a real balance to our team and Harlequins had put out their strongest side to begin with. There was real pace when we got the ball, which was excellent."
On a perfect afternoon for handling rugby, Quins did try to play much wider than is the normal trend in the English Premiership, a style Glasgow seemed more at home with and which duly allowed them to take the lead with an early penalty from Duncan Weir, the fly-half.
It was enough to persuade the English to go back to the game they are familiar with; big forwards driving through the middle, dominating possession and eventually claiming the reward with a line-out maul forcing its way over the line for the opening try, credited to Joe Marler, the prop and captain. Fly-half Nick Evans converted.
Worse for Glasgow, they opened the second half with a shocker of a line-out on their own line as an overthrow handed Kyle Sinckler, the other prop, the visitors' second try before a raft of replacements swung the game the Scots' way.
Predictably it was Niko Matawalu, the replacement scrum-half, who provided the finishing prowess, first in support of a James Eddie break down the touchline, then doing a similar job backing up DTH van der Merwe, the wing, who seemed to have made the game secure with an interception and 90-yard run-in to give his side a 23-14 lead.
Harlequins had different ideas though, and two late tries from Oliver Lindsay-Hague and Marland Yarde put them back in front; a salutary reminder to play to the final whistle.
Scorers: Glasgow Warriors - Tries: Matawalu (51, 53), van der Merwe (64). Con: Weir. Pen: Weir (3, 33).
Harlequins - Tries: Easter (17), Sinckler (42), Lindsay-Hague (73), Yarde (76). Cons: Evans (2).
Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie; L Jones, M Bennett, J Downey (C Braid, 56), R Hughes (DTH van deer Merwe, 41); D Weir (P Horne, 54), M McConnell (N Matawalu, 41); A Allan (J Yanuyanutawa, 54), F Brown (F Scott, 31, P MacArthur, 49), E Murray (R De Klerk, 49), J Gray (R Harley, ), L Nakarawa (sin bin:31-41), E James, T Holmes (C Fusaro, 49), J Strauss (A Ashe, 49).
Harlequins: M Brown; M Yarde, M Hooper (O Lindsay Hague, 59), J Turner-Hall, U Moyne (C Walker, 66); N Evans (B Botica, 55), D Care (sin bin: 36-46, K Dickson, 46); J Marler (M Lambert, 41), J Gray (R Buchanan, 49), K Sinckler (P Doran-Jones, 49), C Matthews (G Merrick, 49), G Robson (S Twomey, ), L Wallace (J Trayfoot, 57), C Robshaw, N Easter.
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