MUNSTER SLIPPED BEHIND in the race for the top four as Domingo Miotti led Glasgow Warriors to a memorable bonus-point win in Thomond Park.
The Argentinian out-half scored a try, a drop goal and all five conversions as Warriors stretched six points ahead of Munster in fourth place in the URC.
A sloppy Munster trailed 28-0 at the break, although tries from Gavin Coombes, Craig Casey, Josh Wycherley and Calvin Nash rescued a bonus point for the province.
Fraser Brown started the barrage when he scored off the back of a driving lineout in the sixth minute and Miotti landed the first of four first-half conversions.
Munster could have impacted the scoreboard four minutes later, but they declined an easy kick at goal in favour of their own shot at a lineout maul, only to have Coombes held up over the try line.
Warriors continued to dominate and the inevitable second try arrived in the 25th minute. Once again Brown was a key man in the score and his inside pass sent Stafford McDowall over for the score – finally awarded by the TMO despite the best defensive efforts of Calvin Nash and Joey Carbery.
After an error-strewn half, Munster continued to cause problems for themselves. Diarmuid Barron was penalised for a dummy throw near his own line, and after the dominant Warriors scrum won another penalty, the pressure told when Miotti stretched to score.
A brief fightback from Munster went without reward as a knock-on near the line halted their drive two minutes from the break, but there was still time for Warriors to claim the bonus point try.
With the fingerprints of former Connacht coach Nigel Carolan all over the action, Cole Forbes touched down following a brilliant flowing move.
It was no shock to see a livelier start to the half from Graham Rowntree’s side, but Warriors stretched their lead through a Miotti drop goal.
Munster finally got off the mark when Coombes scored off a powerful lineout maul. Carbery made it 31-7 with the conversion.
It only took five minutes for the home side to cross again when Casey scooted over from close range following Jack O’Donoghue carry. Carbery added the extras.
But as quick as the hope appeared it dissipated again when Sione Vailanu scored a fifth try for Glasgow, only for Nash to earn a point for Munster late on.
Tries: Coombes, Casey, J Wycherley, Nash
Conversions: J Carbery (2 from 2), J Crowley (1 from 2).
Tries: Brown, McDowall, Miotti, Forbes, Vailanu
Conversions: D Miotti (5 from 5)
Drop goal: D Miotti.
Munster: Mike Haley (Simon Zebo ’67), Calvin Nash, Malakai Fekitoa, Jack Crowley, Shane Daly, Joey Carbery (Rory Scannell ’63), Paddy Patterson (Craig Casey ’45), Dave Kilcoyne (Josh Wycherley h-t), Diarmuid Barron (Scott Buckley ’53) , Roman Salanoa (Stephen Archer ’53) Jean Kleyn (RG Snyman ’60), Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue (CAPT) (Alex Kendellen ’53), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes
Glasgow Warriors: Ollie Smith (Tom Jordan ’26-37 HIA), Cole Forbes, Stafford McDowall (CAPT), Sam Johnson, Jamie Dobie, Domingo Miotti (Tom Jordan ’77), Ali Price (George Horne ’58); Nathan McBeth (Allan Dell ’58), Fraser Brown (Johnny Matthews ’47), Zander Fagerson (Lucio Sordoni ’66), JP du Preez (Lewis Bean ’58), Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson (Alex Samuel ’77), Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu (Thomas Gordon ’68).
Referee: A Piarda (Italy).
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