THERE WAS A brave second-half fightback form Connacht but nothing could stop them going down to their 13th defeat of the season as Glasgow Warriors made sure they will finish top of their conference and earn a home semi-final.
It was always going to be an uphill task for the Irish who had won only one away match in the Guinness PRO14 leading into this game but they gave themselves the perfect start when they scored after less than a minute and a half.
A penalty for clearing out beyond the ruck gave them field position and even with Glasgow coming in the side there was no stop their driving maul as it rumbled over the line and Finlay Bealham, the prop, touched down.
Reality soon asserted itself, however, the Scots hitting back straight from the kick off with DTH van der Merwe coming off the blindside wing to make the extra man and sent Stuart Hogg, the full back, racing over the line. Peter Horne converted and added three penalties to settle home nerves.
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Craig Watson / INPHO
Craig Watson / INPHO / INPHO
Connacht were getting some return from their forwards, and in particular the maul, but they were struggling to hold the Glasgow attacking threat. The Scots had managed a couple of breaks that brought them close before eventually Alex Dunbar, back from a three month injury took a short pass to go over for their second.
The forwards came through with the third score, Fraser Brown, the hooker, getting the touchdown, but he best try came just after the break with Dunbar again the key man as he put Matt Fagerson, the No8, on a long run into Connacht territory before handing on to Henry Pyrgos, the scrum half, for the try, grounding the ball against the post, though inexplicably Horne missed the conversion.
Craig Watson / INPHO
Craig Watson / INPHO / INPHO
That seemed to end Glasgow as an attacking force, however and Connacht started to come good as they hung onto the ball for long periods and the Glasgow forwards seemed to tire under the onslaught.
The Irish had already been held up over the line before they made the breakthrough with Stacey Ili, the wing, making the break and Caolin Blade, the replacement scrum half finishing off with a simple run in and there was even more positive play from the Irish who claimed their third try as a series of scums and penalties ended with Frank Murphy, the referee giving up to hand them a penalty try.
Glasgow did not have to worry too much, though. They made the most of the restart, recovering the ball and seeing the game out without more trouble.
Glasgow Warriors:
Tries: Hogg, Dunbar, Brown, Pyrgos,
Cons: Horne [3 from 4]
Pens: Horne [3 from 3]
Connacht:
Tries: Bealham, Blade, pen try
Cons: [1 from 2]
Pens: Carty [1 from 1]
Glasgow Warriors: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Sam Johnson, DTH van der Merwe (Niko Matawalu, 37‘, Jamie Bhatti, 59-69); Peter Horne (Finn Russell, 64‘), Henry Pyrgos (Ali Price, 64‘); Alex Allan (sin bin: 59-69, Jamie Beattie, 69’), Fraser Brown (Grant Stewart, 56‘), Zander Fagerson (Siua Halanukonuka, 59‘), Scott Cummings (Kiran McDonald, 17‘), Jonny Gray (Chris Fusaro, 41‘) , Rob Harley, Callum Gibbins (C), Matt Fagerson.
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Connacht battle back, but no match for title-chasing Warriors
Glasgow Warriors 35
Connacht 22
Lewis Stuart reports from Scotstoun
THERE WAS A brave second-half fightback form Connacht but nothing could stop them going down to their 13th defeat of the season as Glasgow Warriors made sure they will finish top of their conference and earn a home semi-final.
It was always going to be an uphill task for the Irish who had won only one away match in the Guinness PRO14 leading into this game but they gave themselves the perfect start when they scored after less than a minute and a half.
A penalty for clearing out beyond the ruck gave them field position and even with Glasgow coming in the side there was no stop their driving maul as it rumbled over the line and Finlay Bealham, the prop, touched down.
Reality soon asserted itself, however, the Scots hitting back straight from the kick off with DTH van der Merwe coming off the blindside wing to make the extra man and sent Stuart Hogg, the full back, racing over the line. Peter Horne converted and added three penalties to settle home nerves.
Connacht were getting some return from their forwards, and in particular the maul, but they were struggling to hold the Glasgow attacking threat. The Scots had managed a couple of breaks that brought them close before eventually Alex Dunbar, back from a three month injury took a short pass to go over for their second.
The forwards came through with the third score, Fraser Brown, the hooker, getting the touchdown, but he best try came just after the break with Dunbar again the key man as he put Matt Fagerson, the No8, on a long run into Connacht territory before handing on to Henry Pyrgos, the scrum half, for the try, grounding the ball against the post, though inexplicably Horne missed the conversion.
That seemed to end Glasgow as an attacking force, however and Connacht started to come good as they hung onto the ball for long periods and the Glasgow forwards seemed to tire under the onslaught.
The Irish had already been held up over the line before they made the breakthrough with Stacey Ili, the wing, making the break and Caolin Blade, the replacement scrum half finishing off with a simple run in and there was even more positive play from the Irish who claimed their third try as a series of scums and penalties ended with Frank Murphy, the referee giving up to hand them a penalty try.
Glasgow did not have to worry too much, though. They made the most of the restart, recovering the ball and seeing the game out without more trouble.
Glasgow Warriors:
Tries: Hogg, Dunbar, Brown, Pyrgos,
Cons: Horne [3 from 4]
Pens: Horne [3 from 3]
Connacht:
Tries: Bealham, Blade, pen try
Cons: [1 from 2]
Pens: Carty [1 from 1]
Glasgow Warriors: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Sam Johnson, DTH van der Merwe (Niko Matawalu, 37‘, Jamie Bhatti, 59-69); Peter Horne (Finn Russell, 64‘), Henry Pyrgos (Ali Price, 64‘); Alex Allan (sin bin: 59-69, Jamie Beattie, 69’), Fraser Brown (Grant Stewart, 56‘), Zander Fagerson (Siua Halanukonuka, 59‘), Scott Cummings (Kiran McDonald, 17‘), Jonny Gray (Chris Fusaro, 41‘) , Rob Harley, Callum Gibbins (C), Matt Fagerson.
Connacht: Darragh Leader; Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Peter Robb (Tom Farrell, 46‘), Matt Healy (Stacey Ili, 30‘); Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion (Caolin Blade, 59‘); Denis Buckley (Peter McCabe, 50‘), Tom McCartney (Shane Delahunt, 45‘), Finlay Bealham (Conor Carey, 64‘), Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux, Eoghan Masterson, Jarrad Butler (C) (John Muldoon, 30‘), Eoin McKeon.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Attendance: 7,351
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7-try shootout Connacht pro14 Glasgow Warriors