Bulls backed their way into the last 16, qualifying for the knockouts despite losing three of their group matches, conceding a half century to Northampton and 61 points to Bristol.
They picked hybrid teams for those contests. Here, they were mob-handed with 14 Springboks in their party, an amount of grunt which they unleashed on their hosts from early on, their reward coming from Pollard’s boot.
The visitors were in Glasgow with a conservative gameplan, all power and phases and pressure. Glasgow tried to play, as is their custom. To say it was a clash of styles was putting it mildly.
Glasgow did not have territory against the wind. They had a couple of decent moments just after the Pollard penalty – one of them ending when Matt Fagerson ran on to a pass in the Bulls 22 only for it go forward off his face, the other when they messed up a lineout.
The third time was brilliant, though. Dan Lancaster slipped the brilliant McDowall into a gap and the centre, in the team ahead of Huw Jones, galloped away.
Bulls scrambled but Glasgow were relentless. Matt Fagerson kept things moving, he linked with George Horne and even though he was tackled close to the posts – and clearly hurt – he popped it to Williamson who smashed over.
Lancaster converted; 7-3 Glasgow. That soon became 8-7 to the South Africans when their muscle got its reward after multiple phases – hooker Grobbelaar going over in the corner.
Pollard put his side back in the lead on the half-hour mark, but Glasgow responded quickly.
They had lost Horne to injury by then, but their gamble in going for touch with a penalty rather than posts paid off. Dempsey got the score in the end. No conversion, but they were a point in front again.
That didn’t last. Pollard, from distance, kicked a third penalty just before the break. That was the good news for Bulls. The bad news was that they lost Kurt-Lee Arendse at half-time, not that this was a night for world-class wingers.
With the benefit of the wind in their favour, Glasgow started to get on top. Their risky strategy of turning down shots at goal off Bulls’ indiscretions and going for touch instead was a policy they never deviated from, even when it looked decidedly unwise.
Early in the new half they had a kickable penalty, went for touch and lost the lineout.
They had another on 55 minutes – even closer this time – but tapped it instead of kicking it. Now they executed, Shickerling barging his way over for another unconverted score. A three-point game in Glasgow’s favour.
McDowall’s try in the 72nd minute looked like settling it, but back came the Bulls with that score from Van Staden.
Scotstoun held its breath, but then Hastings, with the last kick, sent the place into raptures. Glasgow march on, in style and substance.
