Glasgow 21-10 Lyon: Warriors 'needed to keep foot on throat' - Dave Rennie
- Published
Glasgow couldn't add to their tally after Niko Matawalu's early brace
Glasgow were "nowhere near as clinical as we wanted", said head coach Dave Rennie, after failing to earn a bonus point in beating Lyon at Scotstoun.
A 21-10 victory in filthy conditions kept the Warriors' European Champions Cup qualification hopes on track.
But after moving into an 18-0 lead in the 23rd minute with two Niko Matawalu tries, Glasgow could not build on it.
"We didn't have anywhere near the amount of territory and so not enough pressure for long enough," said Rennie.
"But we got a win so we are still in the race.
"We got to 18-0 and we needed to still be plugging the corners, playing at the right end of the field and putting a bit of pressure on them.
"But we tried to play from deep, made a couple of errors, gave away a couple of penalties, and they camped down in our half.
"There is a bit to learn from that - you need to keep your foot on the throat."
Rennie refused to blame the conditions, with hail and heavy rain on a bitingly cold day making handling difficult.
"It was always going to be difficult on a day like today, and clearly it was tough for both sides to play," he told BBC Scotland. "There were a lot of errors and a lot of scrums as a result.
"We got off to a good start which gives you a glimmer of hope of a bonus point. But we were nowhere near as clinical as we wanted to be.
"Lyon certainly didn't lie down. We really needed to put them out the way in that last quarter-of-an-hour of the first half. But they hung in there and made life difficult for us."
Glasgow, with 14 points, remain in one of the three best runners-up spots across the five pools ahead of their final two fixtures - at home to Cardiff Blues on 13 January, and away at pool leaders Saracens on 19 January.
"We have got to win our next one against Cardiff, and if we do that, we will be on 18 points," Rennie noted. "If we get a bonus point, that will be great. Hopefully we put ourselves in with a chance heading into the Saracens game."
Glasgow will now switch their focus to a forthcoming Pro14 double-header with Edinburgh for the 1872 Cup over the next two Saturdays, starting at Murrayfield on 22 December.
They look likely to be without both their frontline hookers, with George Turner taken off on a stretcher at the end of the first half after suffering an ankle injury and concussion.
First-choice Fraser Brown will be sidelined until early February after damaging knee ligaments in the first game against Lyon last weekend, leaving the inexperienced Grant Stewart and Kevin Bryce as their remaining options.
"Obviously the boys enjoy it [the derby with Edinburgh], being back at Murrayfield, where a lot of them have played a fair bit of footie," Rennie added.
"It is a good way to bring in Christmas, and we know a fair bit about the enemy."