Munster rally late to snatch dramatic win over Glasgow

Munster 25 Glasgow Warriors 24

Rory Scannell landed a winning penalty from halfway with the last kick as Munster turned this game on its head with late comeback at Thomond Park.

Glasgow’s Horne brothers had combined for three tries as Warriors looked certain to win when they led by 14 points on the hour mark, but tries from Alex Wootton and Alby Mathewson hauled Munster back into the tie before Scannell’s heroics.

This game was fiery from the off and less than two minutes had elapsed when the first major flash point resulted in most of the 30 players on show involved in a session of pushing and shoving.

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But when the teams finally settled down to playing some rugby it was an entertaining clash. After 10 minutes Munster took the lead when James Cronin powered over from close range – aided by John Ryan – and JJ Hanrahan chipped over the easy conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Munster were guilty of poor ball retention in their next couple of attacks, and their visitors punished them in the second quarter. Their first try came following a long pass to the left from Rob Harley, which was finished off by scrum half George Horne, although his brother Peter was off target with the touchline conversion.

Warriors missed the chance to take the lead soon after when Peter Horne’s penalty was off target, but they claimed the upperhand by the break when Nick Grigg’s break was finished off by George Horne once again. This time the out-half added the conversion and Warriors claimed a deserved 12-7 led at half-time.

The loss of Sammy Arnold before the interval following a heavy collision with Stafford McDowall meant Keith Earls switched to the centre, and Munster’s new pairing came under planty of pressure after the breakas Grigg continued to cause problems.

Peter O’Mahony forced a tryline knock on from Ruaridh Jackson after 46 minutes to save the home side, but Chris Cloete was sin binned in the same play for an off the ball hit.

And Warriors soon struck for the third time when No 8 Matt Fagerson crashed over of the back of a scrum, although JJ Hanrahan cut the lead back to seven points with a penalty in the 56th minute.

But the bonus point try soon arrived for Warriors when the Horne brother linked again and this time out-half Peter crossed for his sides fourth try, which game them a 24-10 lead.

Alex Wootton crept over in the corner for Munster in the 66th minute, Mathewson follwoed suit seven minutes later and Scannell finished the job.

Scorers

Munster: Try: J Cronin, Wootton, Mathewson; Cons: Hanrahan, Keatley; Pens: Hanrahan, R Scannell.

Glasgow Warriors: Tries: G Horne (2), Fagerson, P Horne; Cons: P Horne, Thomson.

MUNSTER: M Haley; D Sweetnam, S Arnold, R Scannell, K Earls; JJ Hanrahan, A Mathewson; J Cronin, N Scannell, J Ryan; J Kleyn, B Holland; P O'Mahony (C), C Cloete, CJ Stander.

Replacements: A Wootton for Arnold (39 mins HIA), D Kilcoyne for J Cronin (47 mins), S Archer for Ryan (58 mins), A Botha for (61 mins), I Keatley for (62 mins), N Cronin for Mathewson (77 mins), F Wycherley for Kleyn (78 mins).

GLASGOW WARRIORS: R Jackson; N Matawalu, N Grigg, S Johnson, R Hughes; P Horne, G Horne; O Kebble, G Stewart, D Rae; R Harley, S Cummings; A Ashe, C Gibbins (C), M Fagerson .

Replacements: S McDowall for Johnson (23 mins), J Bhatti for Kebble (37 mins), B Thomson for Hughes (52 mins), C Fusaro for (62 mins), P du Plessis for Rae (64 mins), K Bryce for Stewart (74 mins), G Peterson for (74 mins), R Harley for Cummings (77 mins).

Referee: Daniel Jones (WRU).