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Glasgow Warriors 19 Leinster 32
If Glasgow Warriors spent a good deal of their time loading the gun, it was Leinster who fired the bullets. The home side certainly didn’t lack in ambition, tempo or attacking intent, and often moved the ball slickly and quickly despite the constant downpour at Scotstoun, yet Danny Wilson’s side struggled to turn possession into points. Instead it was the Irishmen who bossed this game, scoring almost at will whenever they entered the red zone.
The gulf in ruthlessness between the two sides was painfully apparent. The Warriors were busy and purposeful with the ball in hand, and without it threw themselves into contact with a wince-inducing bravery. Yet while the Warriors backs impressed intermittently, with Sam Johnson and George Horne looking particularly sharp, they simply could not match the raw power of the visitors, especially when the game descended into a forward arm-wrestle. It was like watching a sparring session between a middleweight and a heavyweight, and Glasgow were not the heavy-hitters. As early as half-time they were losing 22-7 and effectively out for the count.
“We showed a lot of character to come back from a deficit at half-time,” said Glasgow Warriors coach Danny Wilson. “We showed heart but errors and turnovers cost us against a very good side. We didn’t convert enough of our field pressure and position. Leinster were clinical.”
The opening try after 10 minutes was a perfect encapsulation of the game, coming after a long period of incessant Warriors probing in the Leinster half. Yet when Leinster managed to wrest the ball back their big men rapidly made some hard yards down the middle. When they worked their way into the kill zone it was stand-off Harry Byrne who committed two Glasgow defenders before offloading to Jimmy O’Brien, the Leinster full-back handing-off Huw Jones to go over with an ease which will do little to dispel Jones’ reputation for defensive frailty.
Glasgow quickly hit back, though, the hyperactive George Horne starting and finishing a move in which Rob Harley, TJ Ioane and Ryan Wilson all carried with purpose before the little scrum-half scampered over, his brother converting.
Glasgow were, however, on equal terms for less than five minutes. Byrne re-established Leinster’s lead with a penalty from a collapsed scrum, and then Leinster’s pack muscled up and drove down to the Warriors line, scrum-half Luke McGrath darting over from a quick-tap penalty after the home forwards seemed to have weathered an interminable succession of pick-and-gos by the Leinster pack.
When Leinster won a penalty and kicked to the corner shortly before half-time, Glasgow’s line was breached once more. This time it was disarmingly easy, openside Scott Penny breaking down the blindside off the lineout drive and powering his way over virtually unopposed.
Tom Gordon of Glasgow Warriors celebrates after he scores his team’s third try during the Guiness PRO14 match between Glasgow Warriors and Leinster at Scotstoun – GETTY IMAGES
Glasgow started the second half well, taking Leinster on up front and getting some joy, tighthead prop D’Arcy Rae burrowing his way over within two minutes of the restart. Yet normal service was resumed within 10 minutes, inside centre Tommy O’Brien making a superb arcing break that took him down to Warriors line before he was dragged down, tighthead prop Mike Bent muscling over from close range for the bonus-point try and a match-winning 15-point lead. To make matters worse, Jones’ attempts to illegally stop the try earned him a yellow card.
Glasgow, though, never stopped probing and trying. They got their reward with seven minutes remaining when wing Cian Kelleher was yellow-carded for clothes-lining Jones, Glasgow kicking to the corner and openside Tom Gordon eventually stretching and touching down from the resulting lineout drive.
Yet with just three minutes remaining, and just in case Glasgow had any ideas of an unlikely late flurry, Leinster pressed and Byrne stretched their lead with a penalty. It was a neat display of the control the visitors had exerted throughout.
Match details
Glasgow Warriors: H Jones, T Seymour (R Tagive, 71), N Grigg, S Johnson, N Matawalu; P Horne (B Thomson, 68), G Horne (J Dobie, 70); A Seiuli (A Allan, 54), G Stewart (G Turner, 54), D Rae (E Pieretto, 54), R Harley, H Bain, R Wilson (capt (C Fusaro, 63)), T Gordon, TJ Ioane (F Lokotui, 63).
Leinster: J O’Brien (D Hawkshaw, 73); C Kelleher, R O’Loughlin, T O’Brien, D Kearney; H Byrne, L McGrath (H O’Sullivan, 77); P Dooley (M Milne, 53), J Tracy (D Sheehan, 53), M Bent (T Clarkson, 60); R Molony (S Fardy, 60), D Toner; J Murphy (J Dunne, 73), S Penny, R Ruddock (capt (D Leavy, 60)).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Scoring sequence: try O’Brien 0-5; con Byrne 0-7; try G Horne 5-7; con P Horne 7-7; pen Byrne 7-10; try McGrath 7-15; con Byrne 7-17; try Penny 7-22; try Rae 12-22; con P Horne 14-22; try Bent 14-27; con Byrne 14-29; try Gordon 19-29; pen Byrne 19-32.
