Glasgow need to win both their final two pool games to reach their stated goal of the European Rugby Champions’ Cup quarter-finals after losing their second game to Toulouse in six days.
Four penalties from scrum-half Sebastien Bezy were just enough to give the four-time European champions victory, with the Warriors rallying with two late penalties to get a losing bonus point when the 6984 crowd at Scotstoun began to sniff an unlikely comeback.
However the French giants were more than worth the win to back-up their 19-11 victory over Glasgow last Sunday, their smothering defence offering little or no opportunity for the home side to play their usual free-flowing game.
It leaves the Warriors just ahead of Bath in second place in their Pool by virtue of the head-to-head between the sides, but realistically Glasgow must beat Montpellier at Scotstoun in January and then win in the West Country a week later if they’re going to reach the last eight in Europe for the first time.
Toulouse opened the scoring with Bezy’s first penalty on nine minutes, although Finn Russell replied for the home side within three minutes after the home side put pressure on the Frenchmen.
However a missed penalty from the fly-half prevented the Warriors taking the lead, and instead Bezy kicked Toulouse back in front with 21 minutes played.
Neither side could make much ground against the other’s defence and both sides m,issed long-range penalty chances before half time, Stuart Hogg’s try from near halfway going right while Jean Marc Doussain badly hooked his attempt.
Toulouse were under pressure early in the second half but their superior defensive work stalled Glasgow and instead after successive penalties at scrum and lineout Bezy kicked them 9-3 in front, and just before the hour mark a fourth success by the scrum-half gave the French side breathing room.
Russell meanwhile missed another good chance for Glasgow and instead it was replacement Duncan Weir who booted a long penalty to give his side some hope.
Glasgow got another chance with seven minutes left and opted to go for the posts, Weir drawing them to 9-12, but that was no real chance after that for the Warriors to pull level or get ahead.