'If we play like that they'll put 60 or 70 on us' - Friend issues warning to his Connacht players after Glasgow defeat

Andy Friend has warned his players they could lose by "60 or 70" points against Ulster next week if they don't properly address their defeat to Glasgow.

Friend's side were second best throughout in their 42-20 defeat to the Warriors, whose sixth win from nine sees them solidify their place in the top four of the United Rugby Championship table.

For Connacht, a fifth defeat in the URC sees them lose further ground on their Irish Shield rivals in the race for Champions Cup rugby.

While Connacht briefly drew level at 17-17 and 20-20 early in the second half, three more Glasgow tries followed to kill the game off.

The Australian coach did not hold back his frustrations at the performance, describing it as "unacceptable".

"What was disappointing was the lack of energy and the lack of spark and stupidity of some of the penalties we gave away, we kept giving them access," he said,

"Areas that gave functioned well for us before didn't function. There are no excuses, that was unacceptable, that performance."

Despite big wins against Ulster, Munster and the Bulls this season, Saturday's defeat is a second at the Sportsground this season, following a similarly poor showing against the Dragons in October.

However, Friend (below) says the Glasgow loss was their worst of the campaign.

"We all felt in the team really flat after the Dragons performance, this one supersedes it," he said.

"We were worse today, and I hurt saying that. I wear that, I'm the head coach at the end of the day. I've to look at what got us to that state where I thought we were ready to go but we weren't.

"To have a reasonably packed house there, Tiernan O'Halloran's 200th game, Cathal Forde's first game, Gareth our physio's last game. It's pretty disappointing."

Connacht