Munster start URC campaign with defeat at home to Glasgow
Seán O'Brien of Munster after the United Rugby Championship match against Glasgow Warriors. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Munster slipped to an opening-night defeat at home to Glasgow Warriors in Limerick on Saturday night as Clayton McMillan’s second United Rugby Championship campaign as head coach got off to an underwhelming start.
Glasgow, looking to atone for their shock semi-final defeat at home to the Bulls last season having topped the regular season league table, claimed a bonus-point victory at Thomond Park thanks to two tries from wing Jamie Dobie and further scores from replacement prop Nathan McBeth and scrum-half George Horne, who also added three of four conversions.
Yet Munster had led 17-7 at half-time thanks to tries from wing Ben O’Connor and prop Michael Milne with fly-half JJ Hanrahan in excellent goal-kicking form to add a penalty and two conversions before the break.
Yet Hanrahan’s second-half penalty on 57 minutes was Munster’s only score after the break as the home side’s previous scrum dominance against the Scots faded and their penalty count shot up to 15 conceded, a recipe for this opening-night defeat.
After such a deflating campaign opener, Munster’s schedule does not ease up as they welcome the Bulls, their quarter-final conquerors of last season, to Thomond Park next Saturday before a first derby of 2026-27 away to Ulster. The defeat also meant all four Irish provinces experience losses on the opening weekend of the URC with Connacht and Ulster losing at home to Stormers and Edinburgh on Friday night and Leinster beaten by the Lions in Johannesburg earlier on Saturday.
Munster had started brightly, going ahead through a third-minute JJ Hanrahan penalty earned after the home side had struck smartly off a scrum, prompted by a dart down the blindside by scrum-half Ben O’Donovan, making his first start following his arrival from New Zealand’s Canterbury in February.
Glasgow had lost a quintet of Scottish international talent from the spine of their team during the off-season with centre Huw Jones, fly-half Adam Hastings, hooker Johnny Matthews and back-rower Jack Dempsey all departing to French clubs while prop Jamie Bhatti joined Bath. And it was Jones’s successor in the number 13 jersey who handed Munster the opportunity for their opening score, Ollie Smith intercepting a Sean O’Brien pass from an offside position to earn a yellow card just nine minutes.
Munster duly exploited the additional space against the short-handed visitors, Hanrahan delivering a 50-22 to provide the platform and left-wing Ben O’Connor scoring the opening try as his backline moved the ball at pace along the backline from right to left as Glasgow were stretched to breaking point.
Hanrahan slotted the conversion from close to the left touchline for a 10-0 lead with but his backline was forced into a reshuffle soon after as full-back Mike Haley hobbled off. O’Connor covered his loss at 15, with O’Brien moving from centre to wing as Dan Kelly came off the bench to partner Alex Nankivell in midfield.
Smith’s return from the sin bin gave the 2025 champions some fresh impetus and Glasgow hit back on the half-hour through wing Jamie Dobie who peeled off a lineout maul close to the posts, George Horne with a simple conversion.
Yet though Munster both flanker Jack O’Donoghue and matchday captain Diarmuid Barron to Head Injury Assessments in quick succession, the further disruptions did not stop the home side extending their lead before the interval. O’Donoghue would return before half-time while Barron’s exit allowed Marnus van der Merwe to make his senior competitive debut as the South African international hooker signed from Scarlets made an instant impact. A close-range lineout on 36 minutes saw Munster turn to their maul and profit via a try from loosehead Michael Milne.
Hanrahan’s second conversion, this time from right of the posts, found its mark for a third successful kick at goal from three and Munster went in 17-7 to the good to the delight of the 11,031 opening-round crowd.
Munster had enjoyed scrum dominance in the first half with props Milne and debutant former England tighthead Kieran Brookes shining and that continued as van der Merwe stayed on at hooker with Barron withdrawn, the home forward pack winning a crucial set-piece penalty close to their line to end the opening period and another early in the second half in a similar position.
Yet Glasgow continued to push for a reply and despite a lengthy defensive stand on their own line, Munster finally caved on 51 minutes as replacement loosehead Nathan McBeth dove over for five points, Horne delivering the extra two points with the conversion to make it a three-point game at 17-14.
The need for pragmatism from the home side was obvious and when a penalty accrued following some sustained pressure inside the Glasgow 22, Hanrahan stepped up to slot the three points and stretch Munster’s lead to 20-14 heading into the final quarter of the contest.
It was not enough to stop Glasgow going ahead with 12 minutes to go as the visitors struck off a lineout, moving the ball from left to right as Dobie advanced to the tryline, Horne taking the ball off the back of the ensuing ruck to pounce for his side’s second try of the half and then adding the conversion for a 21-20 lead for the Scots.
Munster’s discipline was also creaking as hey continued a string of penalties, allowing Glasgow to maintain their momentum to the frustration of the crowd, their anger increased when Hanrahan was adjudged to have made a forward pass which replays showed was not the case.
The veteran number 10 was withdrawn soon after as McMillan threw on academy newcomer Charlie O’Shea for his senior debut with 10 minutes remaining but Munster were struggling to get back on the front foot, as Glasgow strengthened their grip and went further ahead five minutes from time as Dobie claimed his second of the night and his side’s try bonus point. Horne missed the conversion but Munster still needed a try at 26-20 down with the clock running down.
: M Haley (D Kelly, 18); D Kilgallen, A Nankivell, S O’Brien, B O’Connor; JJ Hanrahan (C O’Shea, 70), B O’Donovan (J O’Riordan, 59); M Milne (J Wycherley, 49), D Barron – captain (M van der Merwe, 32 - HIA), K Brookes (M Ala’alatoa, 49); E O’Connell, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue (B Gleeson, 29-39 – HIA), A Kendellen (J Hodnett, 59), G Coombes (B Gleeson, 59).
J McKay; K Rowe (B Kuenzle, 61), O Smith, S McDowall - captain, J Dobie; D Lancaster, G Horne; P Schickerling (N McBeth, 46), G Hiddleston (S Stephen, 46), M Walker (S Talakai, 46); G Brown (S Cummings, 59), M Williamson; A Miller (M Duncan, 59), R Darge, M Fagerson.
Yellow card: O Smith 9-19 mins Replacements not used: A Fraser, C Reidy
: Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
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