It was not to be missed, the Maritimes knew how to find the resources to get rid of an attractive Scottish team, playful, which dropped ballast twice for a few minutes: once in each period, for a 10-0 in each times, enough to tell the difference.

Given their rise to the Top 14, we expected better from Ronan O'Gara's men.

But their visitors of the day made them outsmart for a good half hour.

Between a strong possession, the sharp movement game like what produces the XV of Thistle, and the indiscipline and the local clumsiness, there was no scandal to see Glasgow in front (0-6, 15th) thanks to two penalties from Ross Thompson.

Bad in their match, weighed down by the very serious ankle injury of Arthur Retière out on a stretcher under respiratory assistance (25th), the Rochelais were put back on their feet by an inspiration from Brice Dulin, in the axis, who has reversed the course of the match.

La Rochelle full-back Brice Dulin escapes a tackle from a Glasgow player, during the 1st day of Pool A of the European Cup, December 12, 2021 at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre XAVIER LEOTY AFP

Because on the next penalty, the first real highlight of the premises, Reda Wardi concluded a ball carried furious which woke Deflandre (31st).

Then the scrum, the dominant sector, put that of the Highlands players in difficulty, with as a penalty a penalty from Iahia West (10-6).

On their way to the recovery, the teammates of Gregory Alldritt insisted, with the same intentions, but were punished on a British highlight concluded by the opportunist Josh Mckay, after a confused action and a pass in the foot in the in-goal maritime (10-13, 51st).

The Scottish joy was short-lived, especially for Rory Darge, forced to leave his comrades ten minutes for a cynical fault (55th).

In numerical superiority, La Rochelle pressed and, after an unproductive shelling, Eneriko Buliruarua, replacing Retière, plunged into the promised land after an action where Alldritt had touched the ball twice (17-13, 58th).

The 3rd line of Rochelais Grégory Alldritt pierces the Glasgow defense, during the 1st day of Pool A of the European Cup, December 12, 2021 at Stade Marcel-Deflandre XAVIER LEOTY AFP

West added a penalty four minutes later following a Scottish ground fault (20-13, 62nd), giving a little more air to the Maritimes who never managed to add to the bill, nor to free themselves completely, in this undecided match until the end.

© 2021 AFP