Steyn admits Bulls 'wanted it more' as Glasgow squander 18-point URC semi-final lead

Glasgow Warriors captain Kyle Steyn admitted the Bulls simply outfought his side when it mattered most, as the Warriors collapsed from 21-3 up to lose 22-21 in their URC semi-final at Murrayfield on Saturday, ending their title defence and sending the Bulls through to a final against Leinster on June 20.

“We’re devastated,” said 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.”

The defeat stings particularly hard given the platform Glasgow had built across the regular season. The Warriors finished top of the URC table, earning home advantage throughout the play-offs — an advantage that ultimately counted for little once the Bulls found their second-half rhythm.

Steyn was unflinching in his assessment, though careful not to strip credit from the opposition. “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.”

He pointed to the scale of the effort invested across the campaign — a squad stretched by challenges throughout the year — which made the manner of the exit all the more painful for the playing group.

Glasgow won the URC title in 2024 but have now fallen at the semi-final stage in each of the two seasons since. Steyn acknowledged the pattern cannot be allowed to continue.

“We have to take the next step,” he 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.”

The Bulls now travel to face Leinster in the URC final, while Glasgow are left to reflect on a season that promised so much but ultimately fell short at the final hurdle.