United Rugby Championship

Glasgow Warriors (19) 29

Tries: Watson, Lancaster, Singleton, Smith Cons: Horne 3 Pen: Horne

Lions (3) 20

Tries: Van den Berg, Mashashe, Brandon Con: Chamberlain Pen: Smith

A late rally snatched a bonus-point victory for Glasgow Warriors against the Lions and sent Franco Smith's side top of the United Rugby Championship table.

Jamie Ritchie was forced off inside 10 minutes on his home debut for Glasgow with what looked like a knee injury, throwing his participation for Scotland in the upcoming Nations Championship into doubt.

Warriors got over that disappointment quickly as a pinpoint cross-field kick from Dan Lancaster found Fergus Watson and the big winger shrugged off a couple of defenders to go over for the opening try.

Lancaster grabbed the second try for himself, benefitting from Euan Ferrie's half-break, exchanging passes with George Horne and going in under the posts.

Horne blazed through a gap to set Jack Singleton free for the third try, a special moment for the former England hooker on his first appearance since suffering a heart attack in training with Gloucester a year ago.

A sniping try from scrum-half Morne van den Berg brought Lions back into the match at 19-10 early in the second half.

And the South Africans made things very interesting 15 minutes from time when Lancaster's pass was picked off by Kelly Mpeku and he sent Siba Mahashe away to touch down in the corner and make it a four-point game.

The momentum was with the Lions and substitute hooker Morne Brandon peeled off a lineout maul to plough over and give the visitors the lead for the first time and put them on the brink of their first win in the northern hemisphere in two years.

Glasgow regathered themselves and four minutes from the end a gorgeous delayed pass from Stafford McDowall sent Smith away for the bonus-point score.

Horne banged over a penalty with the final kick to finish the job and ensure the Lions, rather harshly, left Scotstoun with nothing.

Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith, Bayley Kuenzle, Johnny Ventisei, Stafford McDowall, Fergus Watson, Dan Lancaster, George Horne; Jake Shearer, Jack Singleton, Fin Richardson, Alex Craig, Jare Ogutibeju, Jamie Ritchie, Macenzzie Duncan, Euan Ferrie.

Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Patrick Schickerling, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Ally Miller, Seb Stephen, Callum Reidy, Cameron van Wyk.

Lions: Quan Horn, Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Erich Cronje, Chris Smith, Morne van den Berg; SJ Kotze, Tiaan Lange, RF Schoeman, Etienne Oosthuizen, Ruan Delport, Siba Mahashe, Siba Qoma, Francke Horne.

Replacements: Morne Brandon, Boan Venter, Conraad van Vuuren, Dylan Sjoblom, Notshe Sikhumbuzo, Nico Steyn, Richard Kriel, Boeta Chamberlain.