But his overall influence was what impressed Townsend, including a killer pass that set Tommy Seymour away for Glasgow's second try of the night on Friday.
"Niko was again, in parts, unplayable," said Townsend. "I'm so proud of the players. To put in a shift like that in what was an incredible game of rugby was absolutely brilliant.
"I thought that, to a man, they were outstanding. The willingness to keep working even when they were out on their feet was a testament to the commitment and drive of this squad.
"Josh Strauss and the second-rows Tom Ryder and Tim Swinson I thought had their best games of the season, and the two props, Ed and Ofa, put in an incredible shift.
"We know that there's a lot of hard work to do as the season comes to a climax but it puts us within three points and is a huge boost of confidence having been on the losing side against Ulster already this season."
63x46.png){kind=logo}