Glasgow fell excruciatingly a try short of their target but stayed in contention for a European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-final place as DTH van de Merwe’s hat-trick brought victory over Montpellier.
The Warriors really needed the bonus point for four tries as well as the win but the Canadian internationalist’s three were all they managed, despite having plenty of opportunities and not attempting a single penalty attempt at goal all afternoon.
They now go to Bath having to win and probably needed a bonus to be sure of making the last eight in the premier European competition for the first time, and there was visibly a huge amount of frustration among the team on the pitch at the end of the contest, having had plenty of chances, especially in the first half, to get to their target comfortably.
Glasgow appeared to have discarded their pre-match insistence that they would go for the win first before thinking about the bonus in the first half, when they spurned a succession of kickable penalties to kick to the corner, clearly under instruction from head coach Gregor Townsend.
However Montpellier’s outstanding lineout had Glasgow under pressure on their own throw and there were few occasions that the home side looked capable of breaking down the French team’s rush defence.
Glasgow’s sole try after 15 minutes had more than a little dubiety about it, a simple straight backs move off first-phase ball sending van de Merwe racing away to score from 40 yards out, but Alex Dunbar’s off-load to set the wing free down the touchline looked to have drifted forward.
Montpellier replied when captain Thibauld Privat crashed over from a well-drilled driving maul after Glasgow surrendered territory too easily with a series of penalties.
Yet Glasgow had ample opportunity to get the second try with domination of possession, Montpellier’s quick defence proving a little too quick at times and prop Patric Cilliers sin-binned after a series of offsides.
However Montpellier survived that spell without damage and still led by 10-7 heading towards the final quarter, before Glasgow’s probing finally bore fruit with van de Merwe proving impossible to stop from close range.
Montpellier lost wing Lucas Dupont to another yellow card for offside and scrum-half Teddy Iribaren should have followed him for the most blatant example of creeping up too quick, but Glasgow got the third try almost immediately anyway.
Replacement scrum-half Henry Pyrgos swept the ball away quickly from a ruck to van de Merwe, who once again stepped out of tackles and went over.
Despite their earlier struggles Glasgow were in perfect position now to push for a fourth try, but an injury to skipper Josh Strauss proved a blow and they were just too frenetic in the last minutes to create a real opening.
Att: 6056
Glasgow: P Murchie (S Maitland 63); T Seymour, A Dunbar, P Horne (M Bennett 54), DTH van de Merwe; F Russell, N Matawalu (H Pyrgos 54); R Grant (J Yanuyanutawa 70), P MacArthur (F Brown 54), J Welsh (M Cusack 77); J Gray, T Swinson (J Eddie 56); L Nakarawa, R Wilson, J Strauss (capt, R Vernon 69).
Montpellier: B Sicart; T Artru, R Ebersohn, W Olivier, L Dupont; B Lucas (E Selponi 72), T Iribaren (B Paillaugue 70); Y Watremez (D Attoub 54), M Ivaldi (T Bianchin 70), P Cilliers; R Tchale-Watchou, T Privat (capt, A Bias 77); A Battut, A Qera, B Mowen.
Ref: L Pearce (RFU)