Glasgow Warriors did their job in resounding fashion at Sale, but will have to wait for two Sunday results to see if they can squeeze into the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals for the second year in succession.
The Warriors swept to an easy victory over the Sharks with a bonus point, and need two French clubs – with prominent Scottish players in their ranks – to do them a favour if they are to get into the last eight.
They’re hoping that Finn Russell’s Racing get an away win at crisis club Saracens and Richie Gray’s Toulouse defeat Gloucester at home, if they are to hang on to the eighth seeded place in the quarter-finals.
There was no doubt about the result at the AJ Bell Stadium almost as soon as Leone Nakarawa marked his return to Warriors’ black with a try after three minutes. Fraser Brown, DTH van der Merwe, Sam Johnson, Jonny Gray and George Turner all went over for tries as the Warriors beat a depleted Sharks side with comfort.
Even if they don’t reach the quarter-finals, it seems some momentum has been shot back into the Warriors’ season just as they need a winning run to secure a PRO14 play-off.
Nakarawa was excellent on his return playing 70 minutes with a try, a yellow card and many of his trademark off-loads, but also plenty of rock-solid basics as well for a player who hadn’t played since October.
It took only three minutes for Glasgow and Nakarawa to make their impact, as the Warriors opened with real intent.
A series of phases probed at the Sale defence before DTH van der Merwe suddenly got loose down the left and was stopped just short of the line by Danny Solomona, but Glasgow quickly worked it back for their returning Fijian to smash over from close range, Hastings converting.
Sale’s captain Jonno Ross made things even more difficult for his side with a needless forearm to Scott Cummings on the deck and although it was rightly just a yellow card, Glasgow kicked the penalty to the corner, drove safe lineout ball and Fraser Brown spun off for the second try.
Hastings converted and Glasgow were halfway to their target after only 15 minutes.
They had to defend stoutly against a series of penalties and mauls but came away unharmed thanks to Sale indiscipline, and another penalty conceded by the home side in midfield set up a second attacking maul on the half hour.
This time Sale stalled the push, but Price sniped smartly off the back and off-loaded to van der Merwe taking a perfect line to slash through under the posts for the third score, Hastings adding an easy extra two.
Nakarawa was yellow-carded for interfering at the next defensive maul, but Tom Gordon forced a turnover when Sale tried again and the Sharks were denied a score before half-time.
Being a man down didn’t slow up Glasgow any and they didn’t even wait for Nakarawa to come back in the second half, Hastings surprising Sale with a quick tap penalty in the 22 and Price was again the provider for Sam Johnson to go over.
Solomona got away down the right for Sale to set up replacement Jake Cooper-Wooley for a try converted by Tom Curtis, but Hastings quickly calmed things down again with a penalty from a scrum award.
Glasgow brought on a host of replacements but didn’t miss a beat, Niko Matawalu being physical going for the corner and Jonny Gray driving over from the next phase for the fifth try, Hastings staying at 100% with his fifth conversion.
Replacement hooker George Turner added a sixth try with a superb angle of running against the drifting defence to motor in from 30 metres, converted again by Hastings.
Glasgow: G Bryce; DTH van der Merwe, H Jones, S Johnson, K Steyn; A Hastings, A Price; A Seuili, F Brown, Z Fagerson; S Cummings, J Gray; L Nakarawa, T Gordon, R Wilson.
Replacements: G Turner for Brown 58, O Kebble for Seuili 60, A Nicol for Fagerson 66, R Harley for Wilson 53, C Fusaro for Gordon 66, G Horne for Price 58, P Horne for Johnson 48, N Matawalu for van der Merwe 60.
Sale: J Carpenter; D Solomona, L James, J Williams, M Yarde; T Curtis, W Cliff; R Harrison, C Langdon, W-G John; M Postlethwaite, J Phillips; T Curry, B Curry, J Ross.
Replacements: R Webber for Langdon 48, B Carlile for Harrison 60, J Cooper-Wooley for John 48, S Dugdale for Ross 60, C Bield for B Curry 51, G Warr for Cliff 60, C Redpath for Williams 52, T Roebuck for Solomona 60.