GLASGOW Warriors’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions Cup hang by a thread after they were beaten fairly comfortably by Racing 92. The French side seized control of the game after a modest start, and although the Warriors mounted a partial comeback in the second half, they only got a try by Leone Nakarawa to show for it.

With two games to play in Pool 3 and only the winners guaranteed to progress, Racing are top with 17 points. Glasgow are back on nine, a point behind Northampton, whom they must now beat in England next Sunday to revive their chances of going through to the quarter-finals as one of the three best runners-up from the five pools.

The Warriors defended solidly in the opening stages, although they were put under unnecessary pressure at one point by a mis-placed pass from Adam Ashe. Finn Russell failed in an attempt to open the scoring with a penalty after ten minutes, but made amends five minutes later with a kick from just outside the 22. Stuart Hogg was just wide with a longer-range effort at the end of the first quarter, but, despite those six missed points, Glasgow had played with encouraging enterprise.

Racing were too impatient at times, coughing up possession as a result, but Dan Carter settled their nerves when he made it 3-3 with a penalty after 25 minutes. Minutes later they were in front, with a try begun by a counter-attack from deep within their own half. Chris Masoe carried inside the Glasgow 22, and then, from only two metres out, Ben Tameifuna crossed the line and touched down. The tighthead prop is just a few pounds shy of 23 stone, and there was never any question of a defender being able to prevent him from grounding. Carter added the two points.

Leone Nakarawa came close to hitting back almost immediately after Taqele Nairayavoro’s powerful break down the right, but the Fijian spilled the ball forward as he crossed the Racing five-metre line. The last word in the first half went to Carter, who made the score at the interval 13-3.

Racing piled on the pressure straight from the restart, and effectively killed off the match as a contest with a try within four minutes. The formula was similar to the first, but this time it was the less substantial figure of Dimitri Szarzewski, the hooker and captain, who delivered the coup de grace after the pack had driven close. Carter’s conversion took the score to 20-3.

The Racing forwards were fired up by this time, and five minutes later they were over again. They rumbled close after Carter had kicked a penalty to touch, and then Eddy Ben Arous touched down for a converted try.

The game well won, Carter and Szarzewski came off. After an hour, Glasgow pulled a score back when Nakarawa squeezed over the line and grounded. It was uncertain whether the lock had been in control when grounding, but the try was given after a review by the Television Match Official, and Russell’s conversion took his team into double figures.

Racing still needed a try for a bonus point, and they got it just as the clock went past 80 minutes. Another drive from the pack did the damage, and this time Manuel Carizza claimed the try. Johannes Goosen rounded off the scoring with the conversion.

RACING 92: Tries: Tameifuna, Szarzewski, Ben Arous, Carizza. Cons: Carter 3, Goosen. Pens: Carter 2.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Try: Nakarawa. Con: Russell. Pen: Russell

Racing 92: J Goosen; J Imhoff, H Chavancy, A Dumoulin (C Laulala 65), M Andreu; D Carter (B Dulin 58), M Machenaud (M Phillips 75); E Ben Arous (J Brugnaut 58), D Szarzewski (C Chat 54), B Tameifuna (L Ducalcon 54), L Charteris, M Carizza, W Lauret (B Le Roux 55), Y Nyanga, C Masoe (A Claassen 73).

Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; T Naiyaravoro (L Jones 54), M Bennett (S Johnson 78), F Russell, S Lamont (G Bryce 65); D Weir, A Price; G Reid (A Allan 65), P MacArthur (F Brown 54), Z Fagerson (S Puafisi 65), L Nakarawa, J Gray, R Wilson, C Fusaro (H Blake 70), A Ashe (G Peterson 52).

Referee: J Lacey (Ireland).