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Glasgow Warriors kicked off their European journey in perfect fashion with a crucial bonus-point win on the road against Sale Sharks.

Taking advantage of the elements at their backs, Sale began strongly and raced to a fourteen-point lead within 20 minutes. Tries from Ernst van Rhyn and teenage debutant Ollie Davies put them in command.

But, the visitors responded well with two tries before the interval. Hooker Gregor Hiddleston and flanker Rory Darge both crossed to reduce the gap.

Additional after the break scores from captain Kyle Steyn and centurion Stafford McDowall pushed the Warriors' advantage to 26-14. A late reply for the hosts set up a nervous finale, but the visitors stood strong to secure a major opening victory.

Glasgow Seize Initiative After Half-Time

The match began with a bang as skipper Van Rhyn scored from close range after only two minutes. A first-half knock to centre Ma'asi-White introduced 19-year-old Ollie Davies into the fray for his cup debut.

The youngster made an instant impact. Switching to fly-half, he ran a good support line to take an offload and touch down, extending the home side's lead.

Against difficult conditions, the Warriors used their forward power to fight back into the game. A powerful line-out drive was touched down by hooker Hiddleston. Just before the break, Rory Darge barged over, with Adam Hastings' conversion making it a narrow game at half-time.

The Scottish club took the advantage for the first occasion early in the restart. A misjudged kick was collected by No. 8 Dempsey, who fed skipper Steyn to break a tackle and race away to the try-line.

With in the driving seat, they clinched the bonus point when McDowall powered past a tackle to score his century for the club. That score completed a sequence of 26 consecutive points.

Sale found a late hope when Marius Louw showed neat skills to score. The conversion made it a five-point game with time left.

One last opportunity came for them from a line-out in the corner, but they failed to secure the ball, sealing the Warriors' triumph.

Looking Ahead

Sale Sharks must regroup ahead of a trip to face Clermont Auvergne next Saturday. In contrast, Glasgow will welcome six-time winners Toulouse to their home ground.

Both sides are drawn in a competitive Pool One that also includes the English side and South African outfit the Hollywoodbets Sharks.

Teams

Sale Sharks: Reed; O'Flaherty, Ma'asi-White, Louw, Wills; Du Preez, Quirke; McIntyre, Jibulu, John, Burrow, Bamber, Vermeulen, Van Rhyn, T Curry.
Replacements: Caine, Onasanya, Harper, Andrews, B Curry, Warr, Davies, Wehr.

Glasgow Warriors: McKay; Steyn, McDowall, Tuipulotu, Smith; Hastings, Horne; McBeth, Hiddleston, Z Fagerson, Williamson, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Stephen, Sutherland, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Miller, Dobie, Lancaster.

Match Officials

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France).
Assistant Referees: Vincent Blasco Baque (French) and Julien Caulier (France).
TMO: Tual Trainini (France).