Glasgow's season ended in disappointment but Franco Smith is proud of their season and the way they played

Glasgow entered the play-offs with plenty of reason for optimism. The Warriors finished top of the league standings and won all four of their Champions Cup pool matches, laying the foundations for what looked set to be a landmark season.

Instead, their impressive campaign ended in disappointment. A below-par performance against Toulon brought Glasgow's European challenge to an abrupt halt, before the second-half turnaround against the Bulls ended hopes of silverware and left the Warriors empty-handed.

Warriors suffered a blow ahead of the game when George Horne dropped out of the starting XV, with Jamie Dobie starting and Jack Oliver brought on to the bench.

After Handre Pollard's early penalty, Glasgow took control with two scores from Kyle Steyn, both finished from slick wide moves and converted by Dan Lancaster. A penalty try then stretched the lead to 21-3 as the Bulls were reduced to 13 men.

The visitors hit back before half-time through Johan Grobbelaar, cutting the gap to 21-10 at the break.

A yellow card for Scott Cummings proved a turning point after the restart. Embrose Papier crossed to reduce the deficit before Francois Klopper's converted try completed a run of 19 unanswered points and put the Bulls ahead for the first time since the opening minutes.

Glasgow remained within a point as Pollard missed three late penalty attempts, but despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, the Warriors could not find a decisive score as the Bulls held on for a narrow victory and a place in the URC final.

Speaking after the match, Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith said: "I'm obviously disappointed with the result. Bulls did very well in the second half. For now, disappointed - not with the effort or how we played, just the result.

"They defended really well second half, well done to them. There's enough fuel in the tank for us to progress and go forward.

"We're usually very good on the other side of half time. It was the same messaging as we've always had. We're doing the right things in the right area.

"We gave too many yards in defence and that's most disappointing. I know this group, we can deliver a better defensive performance. That's a work on going forward.

"We worked really hard this season, fought when we've had some difficulties regarding international players and injuries. Finishing top of the log was an important milestone for us.

"To have played here in front of so many fans is remarkable. Yes, we wanted to go one more but I'm really proud of the season and the way the boys have played."

"We're devastated," said Glasgow captain Kyle Steyn. "The hard truth of it is the Bulls came out in the second half and they wanted it more than us. They got to breakdowns before us and, at big moments, they just did simple things better than we did.

"That's what really devastating for us as a player group. For all that's been put into the season, with the squad the size it was, with the challenges stacked the way they were, for what everyone involved in this group did to get into these kind of games and then to walk off and feel like we haven't absolutely left everything out there.

"The gut feeling is that we lost the game, we weren't beaten. I don't want that to sound arrogant because credit to the Bulls for staying in the fight. But for everything that's gone into it this season, it was disappointing."

Glasgow won the URC title in 2024 but have now suffered semi-final disappointment in the last two seasons.

"We have to take the next step," Steyn said. "We absolutely have to take this punch on the chin and learn the way we should. But also we've been here often enough now to know what it takes.

"We've got to regroup and when we come back we've got to be hungry and challenge ourselves to show up in more of these moments. If you show up in more of these moments, then you can win these big games."

Warriors' flanker Rory Darge told BBC Scotland: "Pretty gutted. We started so well, and second half you saw the importance of the physical side of the game. That's what they pride themselves on.

"And then what happened in the second half happened. To build up a score like that and then to lose it, it's a tough one.

"It's a weird feeling because there's been so much good stuff this season. We'll look back at the good bits but to not honour it at the business end is frustrating.

"We'll look back at a few big moments. There's a few times at the breakdown that hurt us. We knew it was a threat and we dealt with it at the start. Credit to the Bulls, it's well deserved."