Glasgow Warriors 13-9 Lions: Hosts hold off resurgent visitors

Glasgow got an early try through Jamie Bhatti

Glasgow Warriors held off Lions' resurgence to record back-to-back United Rugby Championship wins.

Jamie Bhatti's early try and Ross Thompson's penalty gave Danny Wilson's side a 10-6 lead at the break.

EW Viljoen had knocked over two penalties for the South African visitors and he got another in the second period.

But Viljoen's next attempt from long range was wide and Thompson took his tally with the boot to eight points.

Warriors visit Zebre next Saturday, the day after Lions visit Ulster.

After an encouraging display, albeit in defeat, against Ulster in round one and an impressive bonus-point win over the Sharks last time out, there's been a sense of early-season momentum building around Glasgow.

As they had done against the Sharks, Glasgow scored within two minutes, but an early try by Bhatti - making his 50th Warriors appearance - did not signal the opening of the floodgates.

Rory Darge and Rufus McLean had some nice moments in front of the onlooking Scotland coaches, but Warriors were struggling to pick holes in a physical Lions defence. When they did find openings, the move faltered at the final pass.

Lions were the team in the ascendency either side of the break but some stern Warriors defence, coupled with the South African side's own lack of clinical edge in the red zone, kept the home side's noses in front.

Wilson looked to George Horne to provide a spark from the bench but even the electric little scrum-half struggled to find a way into a match punctuated by drop balls, poor kicking and the referee's whistle.

Ross Thompson's third successful kick of the day gave the home side some breathing space and for all Lions' heart, they never looked like opening Glasgow up to retrieve the situation.

An ugly spectacle, but job done for Glasgow.

Glasgow Warriors: Forbes, Steyn, Grigg, Johnson, McLean, Thompson, Dobie, Bhatti, Brown, McCallum, Bean, Gray, Wilson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Matthews, Thyer, Walker, Harley, M Fagerson, G Horne, Weir, Tuipulotu.

Lions: Rossouw, Pienaar, Rass, Odendaal, Maxwane, Viljoen, Warner, S. Sithole, Visagie, Du Plessis, Schoeman, van Vuren, J Kriel, V Tshituka, Straeuli.

Replacements: Botha, Naude, Sadie, Nothnagel, Sangweni, Van den Berg, More, Simelane.