Glasgow Warriors player ratings: ‘Sheer perfection’ from outstanding back-row duo as Scots shock Bulls

Jack Dempsey in action for Glasgow Warriors.

Following an incredible 21-16 victory over the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Glasgow Warriors.

15 Josh McKay: When Glasgow were struggling, the full-back was their one attacking bright spark, before he made several more incursions after the Warriors got on top. Magnificent performance. 9

14 Sebastian Cancelliere: Has excelled all season and produced a fitting display in the showpiece event, with his quick feet causing problems for the opposition. 7

13 Huw Jones: Grew into the game and scored the match-winning try for the Warriors with a decent support line, but all the work was really done by the team-mates. 6

12 Sione Tuipulotu: Has had much better games in this play-off run but was still very solid, with a few standout moments. 6

Leading by example

11 Kyle Steyn (c): Captain fantastic once again. What a series of games the Scotland wing has had. Played a key role in Jones’ score, including providing the assist, in what was a sublime second-half performance. 8

10 Tom Jordan: Another brave effort from the fly-half, although he ultimately struggled to get control of the game until after the break and was yellow carded late on for a silly attempted tackle. 6

9 George Horne: Another calm and composed showing as he helped turn the 13-point deficit around. Took the right options most of the time and got that Glasgow attack firing. 8

Insane back-row performances

8 Jack Dempsey: A performance worthy of the URC final, Dempsey was absolutely everywhere. His carrying was destructive, while he was also utterly superb on defence. 10

7 Rory Darge: Another fantastic back-rower, Darge wasn’t quite as brilliant as the number eight, but he wasn’t far behind. Just brilliant. 8

6 Matt Fagerson: To be honest, we’re running out of superlatives for the loose trio at this point so, yeah, Fagerson was pretty damn good too. Sheer perfection. 10

5 Richie Gray: Always does his job well and that was no different in Pretoria as Glasgow produced a stunning comeback. 6

4 Scott Cummings: Good in the lineout, an absolute workhorse in defence, and he played his part in keeping the Bulls out at the end. 7

Playing 80 on the Highveld

3 Zander Fagerson: Like last week, the scrum was an issue early on, but his work ethic and aerobic capacity is absolutely remarkable as the tighthead went the whole 80 minutes again – this time at altitude. Insane. 8

2 Johnny Matthews: Lineout went relatively smoothly, but he struggled a bit against the big Bulls pack and was replaced early in the second period. 5

1 Jamie Bhatti: Really struggled against Wilco Louw and was taken off at the same time as Matthews. He still put himself about in the loose, though. 5

Replacements: Nathan McBeth solidified the scrum while Max Williamson and Henco Venter put in big shifts in the back five, and Jamie Dobie was dangerous out wide after coming on for Cancelliere. The bench wasn’t game-defining for Glasgow, but they certainly had a big role in seeing out the win. 7