The 42 Reports from Thomond Park

Munster 20 

Glasgow Warriors 26

MUNSTER FELL SHORT to a battling Glasgow Warriors on the opening night of their new URC campaign, and with it completed a clean sweep of defeats for the Irish provinces in round one for the first time in 17 years.

Clayton McMillan’s team led from the third minute until the 67th of a competitive, often attritional contest, but Glasgow crossed for the final two tries of the game to snatch a bonus-point win on the road.

There were bright elements to Munster’s play – the attack delivering some incisive moments in the first period, while without the ball, the hosts produced some excellent moments in defence.

Yet ultimately it wasn’t enough, Glasgow using their power and accuracy to turn the momentum in their favour on the home stretch and secure a hard-earned opening win.

While missing a host of key players, Munster looked sharp in the opening stages, and just three minutes in JJ Hanrahan kicked his team in front from the tee.

Munster’s half-backs looked lively, with young scrum-half Ben O’Donovan keeping the tempo up and a constant threat with ball-in-hand. 

With Glasgow slow to settle, Munster were threatening, a Ben O’Connor counter on kick-return led to Alex Nankivell breaking through the middle, only for the play to be called back for obstruction. 

Munster’s Fineen Wycherley walks out onto the pitch ahead of the match. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

When Jamie Dobie sliced a clearance into Munster arms, the home side countered from a promising position. Sean O’Brien’s pass, intended for O’Connor on the edge, hit Ollie Smith, resulting in a yellow card for the Glasgow centre. 

Munster used the penalty to go to the corner, but an apparent miscommunication saw the lineout overthrown to the back, allowing Glasgow clear the danger.

Yet Munster looked inevitable, and 13 minutes in Thomond Park had its first try of the new URC season, courtesy of a slick strike play – encouraging for a side getting familiar with new attack coach Jared Payne.

Hanrahan’s neat kick to touch led to a clean Munster lineout. From there, O’Connor and O’Brien linked with a clever wraparound. The Munster nine moved the ball on to Mike Haley, who released O’Connor – the Munster wing’s score converted excellently by Hanrahan.

Munster's Ben O’Connor scores a try. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

Ten points clear, Munster fluffed some opportunities. Hanrahan had his hands on his head as a kick sailed out on the full, a nice idea lost through poor execution.

Glasgow slowly built some momentum. Nice interplay released Ally Miller on the edge but Jack O’Donoghue worked hard to scramble back and nail the tackle and force the turnover.

Moments later Glasgow were applying more pressure, but an outnumbered Gavin Coombes did excellently to hold the ball up and win his team the scrum.

Half an hour in, Glasgow finally got on the scoreboard, Dobie marking his 100th cap with a try following a lineout and maul, converted by George Horne.

Further up the pitch, tempers flared after a shove on O’Donovan following a big Munster scrum win. That ignited the home support and Munster surged. Hanrahan kicked to the corner, and Kendellen carried hard off the maul. Coombes was next up, stopped inches short. After recycling the ball, Coombes was smart on the ground, holding back a Glasgow leg as Michael Milne powered over. Again, Hanrahan added the extras.

Tempers flare between the sides. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

The half ended with another big Munster turnover from a Glasgow wall, the province taking a 10-point lead and all the momentum into the break.

The Warriors came out firing after the break, and Munster worked hard to keep them out for 10 minutes – Nathan McBeth getting the first score of the second half, sniping over after a series of carries was met by stubborn Munster defence on the line. Horne’s conversion pulled the gap back to three points.

Munster then went through a gripping, extended passage of attack, the pack carrying hard, the backs playing with tempo and adding a sprinkling of flicks and tricks before Hanrahan swept over another penalty, moving his team six clear heading into the final quarter.

Glasgow responded with their third try, again, finding a way over with clinical, accurate play after another exhausting Munster defensive effort, Lancaster throwing a beauty of a pass to Dobie with Horne scoring the try and adding the conversion to put the visitors one point up with just over 10 minutes to play.

Now Munster were hanging in. With five to play, four Glasgow players were stopped just short under the posts. The Munster resistance broke as the ball was pushed wide through quick hand to Dobie, who crossed for the bonus-point score.

Horne’s conversion sailed wide, keeping Munster’s hopes alive – McMillan’s side chasing a six-point game with three left on the clock.

However, there was no way through, Glasgow winning back possession and ending the game on a frustrating night for the 11,000-strong Thomond crowd. 

Munster scorers:

Try – O’Connor, Milne

Penalty – Hanrahan [2/2]

Conversion – Hanrahan [2/2]

Glasgow scorers:

Try – Dobie [2], McBeth, Horne

Conversion – Horne [3/3]

MUNSTER: Mike Haley (Dan Kelly, 17); Diarmuid Kilgallen, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Ben O’Connor; JJ Hanrahan (Charlie O’Shea, 69), Ben O’Donovan (Jake O’Riordan, 59); Michael Milne (Josh Wycherley, 49), Diarmuid Barron (capt) (Marnus van der Merwe, 32), Kieran Brookes (Michael Ala’alatoa, 49); Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (Brian Gleeson, 29-39 HIA, HT), Alex Kendellen (Brian Gleeson, 59), Gavin Coombes (John Hodnett, 59). 

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Josh McKay; Kyle Rowe (Bayley Kuenzle, 61), Ollie Smith, Stafford McDowall (capt), Jamie Dobie; Dan Lancaster, George Horne; Patrick Schickerling (Nathan McBeth, 46), Gregor Hiddleston (Seb Stephen, 46), Murphy Walker (Sam Talakai, 46); Gregor Brown (Scott Cummings, 59), Max Williamson; Ally Miller (Macenzzie Duncan, 59), Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson.

Yellow card: Smith 9

Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU)

Attendance: 11,031

Written by Ciarán Kennedy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.