Toulouse show their class

Glasgow's hopes of qualifying for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals suffered a major blow as they were beaten 28-16 by Toulouse at Firhill.

With just one victory from three Pool 6 games, the Warriors will have to win their final three matches to stay in the hunt for the knock-out stages.

The first of those will be in southern France next weekend, when they will attempt to reverse this one-sided defeat.

Glasgow produced one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history by winning in Toulouse two years ago, but rarely looked like repeating that feat on home soil against the defending champions.

Toulouse completely dominated proceedings, the only real surprise being that they failed to add to three first-half tries and claim a bonus point.

The visitors threatened to run riot at times in the first half as they sliced through the Warriors' fragile defence for three tries. They could have had more but for a string of errors that reflected a carelessness to match their ambition.

Two early Ruaridh Jackson penalties for Glasgow sandwiched a rampaging try for the visitors from Florian Fritz, which was converted by David Skrela.

Skrela added a penalty and another conversion from under the posts after Yannick Jauzion had crashed over from Yannick Nyanga's short pass.

Toulouse looked like running away with the game but a pacy Glasgow break saw Max Evans' grubber kick bounce up perfectly for Federico Aramburu to touch down, with Jackson converting.

Skrela replied with another three-pointer and Fritz's kick then helped set up Cedric Heymans for a try in the left corner just before the interval, although Jackson's penalty made it 25-16 at the break.

Skrela stretched Toulouse's lead with a 52nd-minute penalty but it was as though the French side expected a bonus-point try to fall into their laps.

Stout defending

It did not, courtesy of a lack of intensity on their part and some stout defending from Glasgow.

Toulouse's second-half ineptitude was summed up five minutes from time.

Awarded a penalty inside the Glasgow 22 and with their lineout rock-solid and their forwards dominating, this looked to be the moment for a fourth try.

But Skrela carelessly kicked the penalty dead and the chance was gone.

Toulouse may yet regret their profligacy. They are likely to qualify from this group, but a missed bonus point could eventually cost them a home quarter-final.