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Connacht no match for six-try Glasgow at the Sportsground

Updated / Saturday, 29 Jan 2022 18:11
Glasgow's Rufus McLean celebrates his second try
Glasgow's Rufus McLean celebrates his second try

In recent weeks, the Connacht narrative has been their inability to close out wins.

That wasn't the case at the Sportsground today, Andy Friend's side rarely looking like they would come out on top against a far superior Glasgow Warriors.

Their 42-20 defeat is a third in a row in all competitions, one which will likely see them lose further ground on their fellow Irish sides in the United Rugby Championship, and a blow to their chances of qualification for the Heineken Champions Cup next season.

But it was a much different defeat to their recent heartbreaking losses against Leicester and Stade Francais. They will look back with huge frustration on a first half in which they conceded three tries to Glasgow, aided by the seven penalties they coughed up as they struggled to figure out the mind of referee Nic Berry.

They kept themselves in check with a Sammy Arnold try, and a conversion and penalty from 20-year-old Cathal Forde to trail 17-10 at the break.

And when Paul Boyle crashed over to level the game early in the second half it looked like they might kick on.

But the game flipped on 10 second half minutes when Boyle was sent to the sin bin as the visitors crossed for two tries to kill off the game, as Glasgow comfortably saw out a bonus point win which lifts them - for the time being at least - up to second in the table.

Connacht's squad was somewhat depleted coming into the game, with Carty, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, Conor Prendergast and Finlay Bealham away in Irish camp, while Conor Oliver was rested.

However, Glasgow also had plenty of absentees, among them British and Irish Lions Zander Fagerson and Ali Price.

But it was the Scottish side who made the bright start, capitalising on multiple Connacht errors.

It started when Leva Fifita was stripped of the ball in midfield by Fraser Brown, before a grubber to the corner gave the Warriors territory.

Then they disrupted Ultan Dillane at the lineout to win a five metre scrum, and while Connacht held the scrum steady, Glasgow moved through several phases to find Rufus McLean on the left wing, who dived over for what was an unconverted try.

The opening 10 minutes were fractured by a pair of TMO stoppages; firstly as a Connacht penalty was overturned for a neck-roll by Jordan Duggan, before Glasgow's veteran lock Richie Gray was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous clearout on Eoghan Masterson.

Connacht made the extra man count, Arnold crossing for their opening try on 12 minutes. Having opted for a scrum penalty five metres out, they sucked in the Scottish defence with several short pick-and-go phases, before debutant Forde summoned for the ball.

The 20-year-old attacked to the gainline before popping outside to Arnold who ran in under the posts to score, creating an easy conversion for Forde to send the home side in front 7-5.

It was a short lived lead, Glasgow hitting back within six minutes. An offside penalty was kicked to touch on the 22 by Glasgow, and while Connacht stopped the maul, they were carved up in midfield. Tom Farrell - who just before had been receiving treatment for an injury - slipped off an attempted tackle on Kyle Steyn who easily ran in for his side's second try.

A Duncan Weir conversion made it 12-7 to the visitors.

Australian Berry was refereeing the game, his first URC match ahead of his Six Nations run in the coming weeks, and both sides were struggling to adapt to his interpretations at the breakdown, with the first half seeing a combined 13 penalties. And while those penalties were leading to territory, Connacht were struggling to make it count, seeing three lineouts disrupted by the Scottish jumpers.

The difference was that the Warriors were taking advantage of theirs, and when Connacht coughed up their seventh penalty of the day, Glasgow powered over for their third try. After kicking to the corner, it was simple forwards work; Brown threw to Gray in the lineout, before the hooker reclaimed the ball at the back of the maul as they drove their way over, the unconverted score it making it 17-7 to the Scottish side.

But right on the stroke of half time, Masterson pinched a lineout in midfield to set up a Connacht counter, and when Brown played the ball in the ruck a few phases later, it allowed Forde to trim the deficit back to 17-10 with a penalty, as Connacht jogged back into the changing rooms very much alive despite a frustrating 40 minutes.

Their second half start was a marked contrast to their first, and they drew level within three minutes. Oisin Dowling - a half time replacement for the disappointing Fifita - claimed a lineout near the 22, and having worked their way to the line captain Jarrad Butler was stopped inches short, before Boyle picked and drove his way over, Forde's conversion levelling it.

Again, both sides were trading penalties back and forth, and it went from 17-17 to 20-20 in the space of four minutes, Weir and Forde both kicking three-pointers.

On 53 minutes Connacht saw Paul Boyle yellow carded for conceding a penalty in his 22.

Berry's decision to send him to the bin wasn't welcomed by the 4,527 in the Sportsground, but it appeared to be the correct call, Boyle left stranded in defence after Sebastian Cancelliere had broken into the 22.

With a man advantage in the scrum, Glasgow turned down the easy three points, and while they initially turned over possession, they got back into the 22 moments later for McLean to touch down under pressure from Arnold in the corner.

Once again, Weir was wide with the conversion, but the bonus point score made it 25-20 to the visitors on the hour mark.

Having started the second half well Connacht were fading fast, and within two minutes Glasgow had their fifth score, a swift counter attack punishing Tiernan O'Halloran's loose kick, before Steyn's chip-and-chase saw him cruise in for an excellent try.

Boyle returned to the game just as Weir's conversion made it 32-20, a 12-point swing. It had been an expensive sin bin.

That fifth try took the steam out of the game and another Weir penalty provided some insurance to create a 15-point gap with five minutes left.

And with the final act of the game, hooker Johnny Matthews finished off a dominant maul to grab a sixth Scottish try, and cap off a dominant day for Glasgow.

Connacht Rugby: Tiernan O'Halloran; Alex Wootton, Tom Farrell, Sammy Arnold, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Cathal Forde, Kieran Marmion; Jordan Duggan, Dave Heffernan, Greg McGrath; Ultan Dillane, Leva Fifita; Eoghan Masterson, Jarrad Butler (capt), Paul Boyle

Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Denis Buckley, Tietie Tuimauga, Oisin Dowling, Sean Masterson, Colm Reilly, Shayne Bolton, Oran McNulty

Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith; Sebastian Cancelliere, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Rufus McLean; Duncan Weir, George Horne; Oli Kebble, Fraser Brown (capt), Enrique Pieretto; Kiran McDonald, Richie Gray; Ryan Wilson, Thomas Gordon, Jack Dempsey.

Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan, Lewis Bean, Ally Miller, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson, Stafford McDowall

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

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