GLASGOW LET LEINSTER SLIP
Posted: 10/Nov/06

In a wet and miserable Dublin, Leinster and Glasgow Warriors fought out a roller-coaster of a match in a tit-for-tat game which was only settled going into the final quarter after the lead had changed hands five times. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it was the home side that pulled away, finishing with two converted tries and putting the game out of reach for the visitors at 38-23.


The home side opened the scoring with a Rob Kearney penalty and added to that with their first try of the night. With the forwards driving over the line try, Fosi Pala’amo emerged from the pile of bodies with the ball and was credited with the touch down but Rob Kearney missed with the conversion.

Dan Parks opened Glasgow’s scoring with a pen and followed it with another but it wasn’t long before Leinster hooker Brian Blaney added the side’s second try when the Glasgow defence let themselves down tracking a long kick ahead and Blaney was hand to dive on the ball in the scoring zone. Again though, the home side’s kicking was off target and Andy Dunne missed the conversion.

As half time loomed, the Warriors got straight back into the game when Dan Parks floated a long pass out wide for Jon Petrie to collect on the right hand side of the pitch and run in to score the try. Parks added the conversion and when Glasgow pinched the Leinster lineout a few minutes later, the visitors took full advantage of it by threading the ball quickly out to the left and sending flying winger Thom Evans over the whitewash. (Parks missed conversion)

With Glasgow going into the break in the lead, Leinster went out to claim the match back and with the second half only two minutes old, Ireland internationalist Denis Hickie notched up another try (but Kearney again missed the conversion) to take the hosts three points into the lead following a Kearney penalty just before the break.

There was no rest though as Glasgow’s Canadian internationalist Kevin Tkachuk took the lead for the Warriors with another try which had been recycling straight from the kick-off. (Parks missed conversion).

Robert Kearney added another penalty for Leinster and following a good strong passage of play from the home team, scrum half Chris Whitaker picked the ball from the back of the ruck and aimed for the line. Kearney added the conversion to take Leinster 31-23 into the lead just into the final quarter.

Home advantage and pressure told as the time ran out and Leinster sealed their victory with a Jamie Heaslip try and Andy Dunne conversion.

For the game to be so close throughout, the Warriors go into the Autumn break with the disappointment of no losing bonus from their Dublin visit, but the prospect of getting back into European action on their return to Hughenden in December.

3 – 0: Rob Kearney pen (4 mins)
GW Sub: Dan Turner for Alastair Kellock (9 mins)
8 – 0: Fosi Pala’amo try (12 mins)
8 – 3: Dan Parks penalty (15 mins)
L Sub: Andy Dunne for Christian Warner (21 mins)
8 – 6: Dan Parks penalty (22 mins)
13 – 6: Brian Blaney try (28 minutes)
L sub: Christian Warner for Andy Dunne (31 mins)
13 - 11: Jon Petrie try (32 mins)
13 – 13: Dan Parks conversion (32 mins)
13 – 18: Thom Evans try (38 mins)
16 – 18: Rob Kearney pen (40+6)
L sub: Reggie Corrigan for Ronan McCormack (41 mins)
21 – 18: Denis Hickie try (42 mins)
21 – 23: Kevin Tkachuk try (45 mins)
24 – 23: Rob Kearney penalty (50 mins)
L Sub: Ronan McCormack for Fosi Pala’amo (57 mins)
GW Sub: Ben Prescott for Moray Low (58 mins)
29 – 23: Chris Whitaker try (61 mins)
31 – 23: Rob Kearney conversion (61 mins)
GW sub: Steve Swindall for Jon Petrie (61 mins)
L Sub: Andy Dunne for Michael Bearne (64 mins)
GW Subs: Sam Pinder for Graeme Beveridge and Colin Gregor for Dan Parks (69 mins)
L Sub: Harry Vermaas for Brian Blaney (75 mins), Niall Ronan for Stephen Keogh (78 mins)
36 – 23: Jamie Heaslip try (80 mins)
38 – 23: Andy Dunne conversion (80 mins)
L Sub: Adam Byrnes for Trevor Hogan, Cillian Willis for Chris Whitaker (80 mins)
FULL TIME


Leinster: Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Kieran Lewis, Michael Berne, Denis Hickie, Christian Warner, Chris Whitaker, Ronan McCormack (for Pala’amo 57) , Brian Blaney, Fosi Pala'amo, Trevor Hogan, Devin Toner, Stephen Keogh, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip (capt). Replacements: Reggie Corrigan (for McCormack 41), Harry Vermaas (for Blaney 75), Adam Byrnes (for Hogan 80), Niall Ronan (for Keogh 78), Cillian Willis (for Whitaker 80 mins), Andy Dunne (for Warner 21-31), Gary Brown
Glasgow Warriors: Rory Lamont, Hefin O'Hare, Graeme Morrison, Andy Henderson, Thom Evans, Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge, Kevin Tkachuk, Fergus Thomson, Moray Low, Andy Newman, Alastair Kellock, Andrew Wilson, John Barclay, Jon Petrie. Replacements: Eric Milligan, Ben Prescott (for Low 58), Dan Turner (for Kellock 9), Steve Swindall (for Petrie 61), Sam Pinder (for Beveridge 69), Colin Gregor (for Parks 69), Scott Barrow.
Referee: James Jones (WRU)

This article was posted on 10-Nov-2006, 23:52 by Hugh Barrow.