Rob Harley was the closest witness to the try that won Glasgow’s last European Cup tie against Bath, and he believes more breakneck excitement can be expected in Saturday’s European Rugby Champions Cup rematch.
The flanker was just behind Richie Gray in 2011 when the lock pounced on a wicked bounce to score a try with the last touch of the game that clinched the Warriors’ 26-21 win over the West Country men.
And the way the two teams play the game will ensure that a similar sort of entertainment for the sellout 7500 crowd at Scotstoun can be expected on Saturday afternoon.
“I was actually right behind Richie when he got the ball and if he didn’t score, I was having it,” said the Scotland flanker. “It was just an incredible end to a game, we were trying to set up Duncan Weir for a drop goal to win the game and when it was blocked it was just chaos.
“Their full-back Nick Abendanon was clearly favourite to get the ball but it took the craziest bounce back to where Richie and myself were chasing and he got across the line.”
Harley scored a try in the return 23-18 defeat at the Recreation Ground as well – “I just had to run the last 10 metres and fall over after Stuart Hogg beat a couple of players” and believes that both sides want to play to entertain.
“We’ve always had great games against them, they want to play that brand of rugby and attack from deep, that’s maybe the style of both teams,” he said.
“It makes it tiring and challenging for forwards. It’s never one of those games where there’s kicks to touch all the time.
“You’re getting pulled out of position all the time and you’re seeing things you usually see, tight forwards asked to defend multi-phase, in all parts of the field. There is a lot of running, but you get the ball in space and get a chance to play as well.”
Glasgow’s high-speed game has become their trademark over the last year, and Harley, while typecast as the team’s spoiler at blindside flanker, loves the style.
“We put a big emphasis in the squad about being able to play at high speed in everything we do, and it shows in the way we play when we get those half-breaks, the off-loads go in and guys flood through in support.
“I think the emphasis pays off in having guys who can go at high speed, break tackles and get support runners working off them.”
The shortened format of the new European Rugby Champions Cup – just 20 teams compared to the Heineken Cup’s 24 means that home wins, already essential in the old format, have become an absolute necessity if a team wants to progress from the pool stages.
“Home games are more important that ever,” continued Harley. “The fact we have the first one here, we can set our stall in the tournament.
“Chief Executive Nathan Bombrys came down to training today and said there’s just a few seats left with three days to go so we’re going to have a great crowd for it. It’s the extra thing you need in this sort of competition, passionate like it was the PRO 12 semi-final last season against Munster.”
However, although Glasgow are mindful that they need to build their reputation in European competition at last, this season so far hs not been building to this game, added Harley.
“The league is hugely important to us and every week there’s a huge challenge in the PRO12,” he said. “Since I’ve been here we haven’t progressed beyond the group stages in Europe, so it is a major goal for me and the rest of the squad.
“I think we do have extra pressure on us from the league in what the tournaments means, just to raise our standards just a little bit more.”
Meanwhile Ulster lock Alan O’Connor has escaped with just a three-week ban for the choke tackle on Mark Bennett that left the Warriors’ centre unconscious on Saturday.
Bennett needed paramedic attention from medical staff of both teams when he passed out after the incident in the PRO12 match at the Kingspan Stadium, ultimately won 29-9 by Ulster.
He was stretchered off with an oxygen mask before recovering in the dressing room. O’Connor was cited by an independent official and appeared yesterday at a three-man disciplinary panel chaired by Roger Morris (Wales) and including Rhian Williams (Wales) and Dr Barry O’Driscoll (Ireland).
The panel found that the incident was “at the mid-range of the IRB sanctions for this type of offence” carrying a six-week ban, but REDUCED it to three “in light of several compelling mitigating factors, including the player’s exemplary previous playing record,” according to a PRO12 statement.