Rugby Celtic League, Glasgow 35 Connacht 0: These sides may have gone into this match level on Celtic League points but there looked a real gulf in class as Glasgow controlled the game throughout.
Admittedly it took until the 80th minute to claim the bonus point, while the Connacht scrum put real pressure on their hosts and Hugh Campbell, Glasgow's coach, was particularly pleased with his side's defence.
Yet the harsh reality for the visitors was the home side were able to rest several of their internationals and still cruise to a win which consolidated their place in the top half of the table.
A swerving run by Scott Lawson, the 23-year-old hooker who is keeping Scotland skipper Gordon Bulloch out of the Glasgow side, set up the opening score as he cut infield from wide on the left and deep into the 22 on the right where Connacht were forced to kill the ball at a ruck and allow the reliable Calvin Howarth to kick the points.
Immediately afterwards Colin Shaw, the Hawks full-back brought in for injured veteran Kenny Logan, took his side within range again, chipping the ball down the left touchline then chasing well before charging down the attempted clearance and, as they scrambled to get back, the Irishmen were caught offside at a ruck, allowing Howarth to kick three more.
Howarth's kicking form has been such that there has been no way back into the side for Dan Parks either since he started all four of Scotland's autumn Tests. When a powerful run by Graeme Morrison, breaking tackles as he went took Glasgow back into the visitors' 22, Chris Keane was lucky not to be sin-binned after diving illegally into the wrong side of the ruck, but Howarth hit the target again.
Soon afterwards Keane stopped Sean Lamont when he seemed bound for the line, but this time Paul Warwick came in from the side to slow down the release and he was sin-binned. He didn't prevent the try either because within seconds a trademark miss pass by Howarth, delivered at high velocity and cutting out three men, sent the Scotland winger into the left corner.
Glasgow stamped their authority on the game with a second try. Skipper Jonny Petrie picked up from a close-range scrum, the ball was recycled and shifted wide where Kevin Tkachuk, their Canadian international prop, barrelled through the Connacht midfield, Howarth added the extra points.
It was Shaw's injection of pace down the left touchline that set up the next, the full back leaving a string of defenders in his wake before entering the 22 where he found Sean Lamont and, with the line at his mercy and only Matt Mostyn to beat there was no stopping him, Howarth again converting.
The bonus point was secured with another quality score as Bulloch's well weighted pass released fellow replacement Sam Pinder and again Sean Lamont offered support, getting deep into the 22 before feeding Donny Macfadyen for a well earned score, converted this time by Parks.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: Howarth pen 3-0; 5: Howarth pen 6-0; 21: Howarth pen, 9-0; 37: S Lamont try 14-0; 46: Tkachuk try, Howarth con, 21-0; 55: Lamont try, Howarth con, 28-0; 80: Macfadyen try, Parks con 35-0
GLASGOW: C Shaw; S Lamont, G Morrison (G Maclure 71), A Henderson, R Lamont; C Howarth (D Parks 62), G Beveridge (S Pinder 62); K Tkachuk, S Lawson (G Bulloch 60), E Murray (A Kelly 68), A Hall (J Beardshaw 64), D Turner, A Wilson (J Beattie 67), D Macfadyen, J Petrie
CONNACHT: M Mostyn; J Meagher, P Warwick, J Downey, C McPhillips; E Elwood (N O'Brien 51), C Keane (T Tierney 51); R Hogan (A Clarke 45-52), B Jackman (J Fogarty 51), S Knoop (A Clarke 71), C Short, A Farley (P Myburgh 67), M Swift (B O'Connor 68), J Muldoon, J O'Sullivan (B O'Connor 17-21).
Referee: S Leyshon (England).
