Munster threaten second half comeback but come up short against in-form Glasgow Warriors
Tempers flare between both sides. Pic: Craig Watson/Inpho
Munster had to be content with just a try bonus point after chasing the game from the early stages against the URC leaders Glasgow Warriors who were without 15 Scottish internationals.
Munster, themselves shorn of eight Irish internationals, threatened a good comeback when they had the wind in the second half and a cut a 23-point deficit down to eight but Glasgow finished the tie strongly at Scotstoun to make it nine wins on the bounce and inflict a fourth league defeat in their last five games on Clayton McMillan’s men.
Munster were forced into a late change with Mark Donnelly coming in for injured loosehead Josh Wycherley which resulted in John Ryan moving to No.17 on the bench and Michael Ala’alatoa coming in as tighthead cover.
Ala’alatoa had to be drafted after just 17 minutes as Oli Jager, making his first start since October, suffered another injury blow and limped off.
Glasgow, playing with the strong wind, had just 26% possession in the opening nine minutes and yet, remarkably, built a 14-0 lead as Munster endured a nightmare spell after dominating the opening five minutes.
It looked like Munster had crowned that bright start with a try but No.8 Brian Gleeson had his effort off a lineout scratched for a double movement and the league leaders hit them with a double whammy.
Glasgow’s superb handling saw them go from deep as Munster scrambled and Ollie Smith got the try on review in the left corner when he somehow managed to get the touchdown and keep his feet airborne after being bundled into touch by Diarmuid Kilgallen.
Dan Lancaster landed the difficult conversion on his second attempt after Munster’s Thaakir Abrahams was pinged for advancing early.
It got worse for Munster on the restart when Lancaster, son of Connacht coach Stuart, picked off Tony Butler’s pass to Dan Kelly to run and score under the posts to lead 14-0 after nine minutes.
Glasgow then gifted Munster a try when scrumhalf Ethan Coughlan intercepted Stafford McDowell’s pass to full-back Josh McKay and he had the pace to score down the right after 11 minutes.
Munster defended well after that with Diarmuid Barron, Evan O’Connell and Gleeson winning some great turnover ball but Glasgow were patient in their build-up and with multiple penalty advantages the pressure eventually told and impressive academy graduate Olujare Oguntibeju got in for their third converted try.
Munster finished the half poorly.
Butler failed to find touch with a penalty into the wind down the right and Glasgow immediately countered from deep and stretched the Munster cover with Abrahams was binned for a deliberate knock-on as he tried to intercept a pass down his wing.
Glasgow went to the left corner and got in for the bonus point try with Lancaster picking out McKay with another excellent long pass and the conversion pushed them 28-5 in front at the break.
It took some frantic defending on the line by Diarmuid Barron and Dan Kelly to deny Angus Fraser a try three minutes after the restart, while a try from academy hooker Seb Stephen after another flowing move down the left was called back after a knock-on by scrumhalf Ben Afshar was spotted by TMO Adam Jones.
Munster responded with four replacements in the 46th minute, including a debut for 19-year-old Tom Wood at outhalf but Gavin Coombes, who rescued them with two tries after coming on last weekend against the Dragons, lasted just nine minutes after suffering a head injury when he went in to tackle.
Munster got back into the game when Kelly broke from deep and fended Smith before escaping down the right and pull away to score in the corner after 51 minutes.
Ten minutes later Munster closed the gap further when Glasgow bungled a lineout outside the 22 with Gleeson pouncing when Ewan Ferrie spilled the ball and cut the gap to 28-15 after into the final quarter.
Wood was again off target on the near side with the conversion but he impressed in open play, neatly feeding a Kelly pass to Abrahams who put Kilgallen in for the bonus point try. Wood landed the conversion from the left to set up an exciting finish with the margin down to 28-22.
But that was as close as Munster got. Wood kicked dead with a penalty from the middle of the field just when they were building momentum to try and snatch the game and Glasgow worked the clock thereafter with their superior scrum proving decisive.
It was no surprise when Glasgow opted for the posts with a penalty six minutes from time when Lancaster made the game safe as he took his haul to 16 points as the leaders marched on and Munster are left with another post mortem.
J McKay; K Rowe, S McDowall (c), K Yule (M Urwin 77), O Smith; D Lancaster, B Afshar (J Oliver 65); J Bhatti (N McBeth 46), S Stephen (G Stewart 77), M Walker (S Talakai 38); A Craig (D Cockburn 77), J Oguntibeju (M Duncan 65); E Ferrie, A Fraser (S Vailanu 46), A Miller.
M Haley; T Abrahams, S Daly, D Kelly, D Kilgallen (S O’Brien 75); T Butler (T Wood 46), E Coughlan (P Patterson 46); M Donnelly, D Barron (c) (L Barron 53), O Jager (M Ala’alatoa 17); E O’Connell, F Wycherley (G Coombes 46-55); S Edogbo, R Quinn (J O’Donoghue 46), B Gleeson.
Craig Evans (Wales).
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