Glasgow Warriors got the Heineken Cup win they needed at a soaking Scotstoun but a late consolation try allowed Exeter Chiefs to escape with what could turn out to be a crucial bonus point.
Second-half tries from Tim Swinson and Tyrone Holmes had given the Warriors a handy advantage that their greater enterprise deserved, but with four minutes left the Chiefs made sure they got something from their visit to Scotland with a rolling maul try from Dave Ewers to cut the lead back to just four points.
In the end the Warriors were satisfied with an outright win which, added to Cardiff’s shock win over Toulon on Saturday, means all four teams in Pool 1 are within a point of each other after the first two rounds of competition.
Skipper Al Kellock said he was disappointed to lose the late try but it would only be influential “if we let it be”.
“We’ve made it up to us again and we go into the back-to-back games against Cardiff (in December) in a good position,” he said.
“That was a difficult game in tough conditions but the way we took control particularly through our backs in the second half was excellent.”
Head coach Gregor Townsend was delighted to be in a strong position after the way the campaign had started last week in Toulon.
“To be standing here with five points after what happened the first 35 minutes with both Toulon and Exeter last week is very pleasing,” he said.
Heavy rain throughout the first half meant Glasgow’s off-loading game often came unstuck but they still created by far the better try-scoring chances.
Only a cynical intervention by Gareth Steenson denied Gabriel Ascarate in the left-hand corner and earned the Chiefs’ fly-half a yellow card, while Holmes just could not hold a Josh Strauss pass when the line appeared open for a score.
Other than on those occasions smothering defences were on top in the first half, and Steenson landed three penalties when he was on the pitch to two from Ruiradh Jackson, the Chiefs surviving their 10’s sin-binning without damage with a fine defensive stand at an attacking lineout.
Exeter had done well to blunt Niko Matawalu’s threat but in the second half Glasgow started to assert superiority in the scrum and lineout and although Jackson skied a simple penalty chance to level the scores, the first try wasn’t far away.
The Fijian was twice involved, his inside pass allowing Tommy Seymour to break into the 22, Matawalu then confusing the defence with a dummy and a spin for Swinson to smash over from close range, Jackson converting.
Then a sweeping move saw Sean Maitland and Jackson release Seymour to score in the corner but play was called back for a marginal forward pass. Yet within three minutes Exeter could not defend a high ball, Maitland accelerated through a gap, Jackson providing the link for Holmes to crown his home debut with the second try.
Jackson converted for a 20-9 lead but Exeter won a penalty, drove the lineout and crashed over, Ewers getting the approval of the TV official after the referee asked for assistance.