Munster caught late on by Glasgow in key URC showdown
Munster's Tom Farrell is tackled by Glasgow Warriors' Stafford McDowall. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Two late tries from Glasgow consigned Munster to a painful URC defeat at Scotstoun on Friday night, as it was a game they had led all night.
Munster started brightly, with them dominating possession and territory in the opening nine minutes, but the momentum shifted with a moment of madness from Fineen Wycherley, who was sin-binned for lifting a Glasgow player above the horizontal in a ruck clear out.
Glasgow butchered a great opportunity from a 5m lineout soon after and they paid for it when Munster soon scored a fabulous try when the game loosened up.
Tom Farrell, Sean O’Brien and Andrew Smith combined brilliantly down the right to get a foothold in the Glasgow 22, and after Gavin Coombes had sucked in a few defenders with a typically big carry Paddy Patterson fed Tony Butler. The out-half found Ben O’Connor on the left tramline with a brilliant crossfield kick, and the full-back popped back inside to the supporting John Hodnett to score in the 17th minute.
Munster scored again in the 23rd minute, with winger Sean O’Brien reaching for the whitewash to score in the right corner after the Munster pack had chipped away at the Warriors resistance for numerous phases.
Glasgow struck back with a scintillating score in the 28th minute with Ollie Smith brilliantly offloading out of a tackle to George Horne and the scrum half played a wonderful 1-2 with Stafford McDowall to saunter over, although a 33rd-minute Tony Butler penalty gave Munster an eight-point lead.
Two minutes later Glasgow were in again. The move began with a Glasgow scrum just inside their own half and when they ran it right captain Kyle Steyn was put through a hole and his searing pace saw him run in the try from 60m off first-phase possession, to ensure Munster led just 14-15 at half time.
Munster won a penalty straight in front of the Glasgow posts in the 55th minute and made the correct call to clip over three points from the boot of Butler.
Munster grabbed another brilliant score on the hour mark. Tom Farrell was the instigator with an excellent carry and popped pass over the top to O’Brien. The winger had a lot to do, but he powered his way to the line to make it 14-25.
Glasgow responded quickly with Matt Fagerson bashing his way over in the 69th minute and in the 75th minute they struck again through prop Nathan McBeth, as the home side led for the first and only time.
A Hastings (4 cons), G Horne, K Steyn, M Fagerson, N McBeth (1 try each).
T Butler (2 pens, 1 con), R Scannell (1 con), S O’Brien (2 tries), J Hodnett (1 try).
K Rowe; S Cancelliere, O Smith, S McDowall, K Steyn (capt); A Hastings, G Horne; J Bhatti, J Matthews, P Schickerling; J Oguntibeju, A Samuel; E Ferrie, S Vailanu, J Mann.
D Weir, M Fagerson and G Brown for O Smith, S Vailanu and J Oguntibeju (40), N McBeth and S Talakai for J Bhatti and P Schickerling (48), JP du Preez and B Afshar for A Samuel and K Steyn (61), K Steyn for G Horne (72).
B O'Connor; S O'Brien, T Farrell, A Nankivell, A Smith; T Butler, P Patterson; J Loughman, D Barron (capt), S Archer; F Wycherley, T Ahern; A Kendellen, J Hodnett. G Coombes.
J Wycherley and E Coughlan for J Loughman and P Patterson (53), R Quinn and R Scannell for J Hodnett and T Butler (61), J Ryan and B Gleeson for S Archer and A Kendellen (66).
Morne Ferreira (SARU)
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