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The Scottish side began their European journey in ideal fashion with a crucial four-try away victory against Sale Sharks.

With the wind at their backs, Sale started the brighter and raced to a fourteen-point lead within the first quarter. Tries from Ernst van Rhyn and youngster Ollie Davies gave them early control.

But, the visitors responded well with two tries prior to half-time. Hooker Hiddleston and flanker Rory Darge both went over to narrow the deficit.

Additional after the break scores from captain Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall extended Glasgow's advantage to 26-14. Marius Louw's reply for the hosts set up a tense finale, but Glasgow stood strong to secure a significant first-round win.

Glasgow Seize Initiative After Interval

The match started with a bang as skipper Van Rhyn scored from short distance after only two minutes. An early injury to midfielder Rekeiti Ma'asi-White brought 19-year-old Ollie Davies into the fray for his European debut.

Davies made an immediate contribution. Switching to fly-half, he took a good angle to collect an offload and touch down, extending Sale's lead.

Against challenging conditions, the Warriors turned to their forward power to fight back into the game. A strong line-out drive was finished by hooker Gregor Hiddleston. Just before the half, Darge barged over, with Adam Hastings' conversion making it a narrow game at the interval.

The Scottish club seized the lead for the first occasion early in the second half. A poor kick was gathered by No. 8 Dempsey, who set up captain Steyn to burst through a tackle and race away to the try-line.

With in the driving seat, they secured the bonus point when Stafford McDowall powered past a tackle to score his century for the club. That score completed a run of twenty-six unanswered points.

Sale found a lifeline when Marius Louw showed good footwork to score. The conversion made it a five-point game with minutes remaining.

A final opportunity arose for them from a throw in the 22, but they lost the possession, confirming the Warriors' triumph.

What's Next?

Sale must regroup ahead of a journey to face Clermont Auvergne next Saturday. In contrast, Glasgow Warriors will host European giants Toulouse to Scotstoun.

The two sides are drawn in a competitive Pool One that also features Saracens and Durban-based outfit the Sharks.

Line-ups

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