Munster 10
Glasgow Warriors 17
THERE WILL BE no Irish involvement in this season’s URC final after Glasgow Warriors ground out a hard-fought 17-10 semi-final win over Munster at Thomond Park, hours after the Bulls had proved too strong for Leinster in South Africa.
This was a bitterly disappointing day for Munster as their dreams of a home URC final was dashed by a Glasgow team who defended with impressive determination and, crucially, took the few chances that came their way – with Kyle Steyn and Sebastian Cancelliere crossing in either half for the Scottish side.
Munster’s sole try of the evening came through Antoine Frisch, adding to a first-half Jack Crowley penalty.
This was a poor Munster display, with their accuracy and execution letting them down throughout the 80 minutes.
In the opening 40 they fought hard but lacked the necessary incision in the Glasgow half, Crowley scoring their only points of the half from the tee in the 11th minute.
Across a chaotic first-half Munster’s attacking game struggled to click, repeatedly building nice passages of play before the move would break down – often through their own unforced errors.
As the afternoon rain cleared Munster made a positive start, immediately building pressure in the Glasgow half after a big shove at the scrum and stringing together a series of sharp passes.
Moving the ball with pace and accuracy an early try looked on the cards but after winning the first penalty of the game with three minutes on the clock, Crowley opted for the posts and sent his kick wide from a central position – the out-half perhaps yet to get a handle on the strong breeze crossing the pitch.
Then the Munster errors started. An overthrown lineout allowed Glasgow to counter and powerful centre Sione Tuipulotu – who was excellent throughout – went close before a Mike Haley turnover got Munster out of jail.
After surviving that early scare a series of penalties brought Munster up the field. A promising lineout maul came to a halt before Alex Nankivell went close, and after a couple more snipes at the line referee Andrea Piardi lost patience with Glasgow’s rising penalty count. Richie Gray was yellow-carded for offside as Crowley clipped over an easy three points to put his team on the board.
The game became increasingly open, Tadhg Beirne coming up with two turnovers to frustrate Glasgow – the second a sensational steal while running at full tilt in the Glasgow 22.
A Munster error then allowed Glasgow sweep into the lead – an Antoine Frisch pass was spilled by Nankivell on halfway, with Warriors wing Steyn on hand to run in the game’s opening try. George Horne converted and Glasgow led 7-3 with 25 minutes played.
Munster continued to be their own worst enemy. Fineen Wycherley was pinged for not releasing as another attack come to nothing, before Craig Casey knocked the ball on at the base of the scrum.
Shane Daly was the next offender, getting his wires crossed with Haley as the two collided leading to an accidental offside. Simon Zebo broke down the left only to be forced into touch, before Wycherley gave away another penalty moments later.
All the while Munster’s lineout struggled for consistency and Glasgow’s defence held strong. A strong win in the air by Peter O’Mahony led to Crowley slipping through a gap, before Glasgow came up the turnover.
O’Mahony was heavily involved throughout and to no surprise, was at the heart of the niggle that surrounded every battle in the air and on the ground. One of his last actions of the half was to take an arm to the face from Matt Fagerson – the Glasgow flanker yellow-carded after tempers flared near the tunnel.
Glasgow went in at the break a man down, but holding onto a four-point lead.
The second half didn’t take long to ignite – Beirne coming up with another two steals in the first five minutes, pinching a Glasgow lineout in the Munster 22 before another jackal penalty had the crowd on their feet.
Their momentum was building, and Graham Rowntree used the break in play to send in RG Snyman, Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager.
Glasgow had a chance to take some sting of out Munster’s surge, but Horne dragged a penalty attempt wide from the right flank.
With the next passage of play they were far more clinical. Countering off kick return, Huw Jones tore past Sean O’Brien and into space before playing in Cancelliere, who had the pace to beat Zebo to the line for the game’s second try. Horne converted and Munster’s dream of a home URC final looked to be slipping out of reach.
When another attack ended in frustration – a push near the Glasgow tryline resulting in a Glasgow turnover – it began to feel like it might be one of those days.
And then it all came together. Snyman blocked a Glasgow kick and O’Mahony snaffled up the loose ball before Snyman got his big legs moving to carry Munster forward. The South African lock had support from Jeremy Loughman off his shoulder and the prop did well to charge for the tryline before being tackled to ground. O’Mahony was in quick to whip the ball back to Casey, who sent Frisch over in the corner.
Crowley converted and with just over 20 minutes left to play, the comeback felt on.
But it was Glasgow who started winning the small moments again, with the majority of the next 10 minutes played in Munster’s half.
Munster had their chances but their accuracy remained poor. John Hodnett carried into contact when Daly was perhaps a better option off his shoulder, before Snyman knocked on a ball he should have gathered – that was the home side’s ninth handling error of the game. It was soon 10 – Sean O’Brien spilling a pass as Munster tried to work a way out of their half.
Time was slipping away for the province, and in the 74th minute Munster were dealt a double-blow – Horne moving Glasgow seven points clear as Nankivell was red-carded for a dangerous hit on the Warriors scrum-half at the ruck.
There was one last chance, Crowley kicking for touch before Beirne won the ball at the lineout to send Munster surging. They moved the ball across the pitch but with Glasgow holding their shape Snyman’s pass inside was knocked-on by John Ryan.
Glasgow kept possession from the scrum to see out the final moments, as Munster’s season came to a crashing halt.
Munster scorers:
Try – Frisch
Penalty – Crowley [1/2]
Conversion – Crowley [1/1]
Glasgow scorers:
Tries – Steyn, Cancelliere
Penalty – Horne [1/2]
Conversions – Horne [2/2]
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell (Sean O’Brien, 47-57 blood), Simon Zebo (Sean O’Brien 62); Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Conor Murray, 57); Jeremy Loughman (John Ryan, 66), Niall Scannell (Diarmuid Barron, 46), Stephen Archer (Oli Jager, 46); Fineen Wycherley (RG Snyman, 46), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen, 73), Jack O’Donoghue (Gavin Coombes, 55).
Red card: Nankivell 74
GLASGOW: Josh McKay; Sebastian Cancelliere (Jamie Dobie,, 57), Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn (capt); Tom Jordan, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti (Oli Kebble, 71), Johnny Matthews (George Turner, 57), Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Richie Gray (Max Williamson, 57); Matt Fagerson (Euan Ferrie, 61-71 HIA), Rory Darge (Henco Venter, 57), Jack Dempsey.
Yellow card: Gray 11, Fagerson 41.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Attendance: 20,052
