Champions Cup: Gregor Townsend says Glasgow will be stronger for last-eight foray

Glasgow were backed in London by more than 5,500 travelling fans

Gregor Townsend admits Glasgow Warriors were too slack to overcome a ruthless Saracens side in their maiden European Champions Cup quarter-final.

Glasgow went down 38-13 at Allianz Park and had their errors routinely punished by the defending champions.

Townsend says his players will be stronger for their last-eight foray.

"They have to learn that this is the highest level of the game and there are things you have to get right," the head coach told BBC Scotland.

"Physicality is one. We have to keep that physicality in attack and defence up for 80 minutes, because teams like Saracens do.

"Execution - the plays you work on during the week have to come off and you have to nail whatever it is - line-outs, scrums, passing moves and you've got to take your chances in big games like this."

After trailing 14-3 at the break, Lee Jones hauled Glasgow back within a score when he gathered Finn Russell's kick and battled between Alex Goode and Chris Ashton to touch down.

Chris Ashton scored two of Saracens' four tries to set-up a semi-final meeting with Munster

The momentum appeared to be swinging the Warriors' way, but mistakes from the visitors, and furious counterattacking from the hosts, released the pressure, with Sarries sealing their semi-final berth by scoring three tries of their own.

"We're disappointed the players weren't able to play at their best today," added Townsend.

"A big part of that was the opposition we were up against, but we weren't as accurate as we needed to be in a big game like that.

"We believed in the group, believed we could win, but it's very unusual for a team to win on their first occasion in the last eight.

"What we've learned today has got to keep for the next few years. We failed in the Pro12 on a few occasions and finally made the breakthrough (winning the title in 2015).

"So we've got to use this learning today for when the players next play together, when they play at international level, but definitely when they play for the club over the next few years."