Connacht 23, Glasgow Warriors 40

Glasgow Warriors scored only their third victory on Irish soil in six seasons of Celtic League rugby in beating Connacht in this evening’s Magners League visit to Galway.

They made heavy weather of the middle phase of the contest after leading 23-5 in 34 minutes. But they worked their way through a ragged second half to pick up a four-try bonus point.

Glasgow struck early. Less than two minutes had gone when Andy Newman’s lineout take on the Connacht 10-metre line sparked a crossfield move, and though that was halted on the left Fergus Thomson soon revived the impetus with a thrust up the touchline for Alastair Kellock to link for John Barclay to score. Dan Parks converted from well out.

But only four minutes later Paul Warwick marked Francisco Leonelli’s kick into the home 22, and the home stand-off capitalised on his quick free kick with a thrust up the right to score in the corner. It was too far out for Warwick himself to convert.

Glasgow were soon back on the offensive. A Parks chip to the left almost produced a try for Thom Evans. The wing was held up in the corner, and from the five-metre scrummage he was denied just short of the line.

Parks was then just wide with along-range penalty after a touch judge flagged because Colm Rigney joined a two-man contretemps. But Glasgow still found the means to pick their way into a comfortable lead. Parks kicked two penalty goals for ruck offences, and when Moray Low surged into the home 22 the stand-off calmly dropped a goal for 16-5 after 27 minutes.

That margin was stretched seven minutes later, when a Park kick down the right touchline forced Connacht to concede a lineout in their own 22. John Beattie breenged through from there, and Graeme Beveridge sent John Beattie in for a try. Parks converted for 23-5 after 34 minutes.

Deep into injury time, however, Warwick kicked a penalty goal, and he repeated that only two minutes into the second half. As if that were not bad enough for Glasgow, a series of fumbles allowed Connacht to surge to the line for Gavin Duffy to score. Warwick failed with the conversion, but Glasgow’s 18-point lead had been whittled down to seven in the space of only six minutes.

But Glasgow nerves were calmed by the three B’s – Beveridge, Beattie, and Barclay. The scrum half tidied up for an awkward scrum, the back row pair carried on, and Hefin O’Hare sliced through to run between the posts for Parks to convert.

Glasgow, though, could not capitalise on John Muldoon’s yellow card. But as soon as he returned his place in the bin was taken by Brett Sturgess. That was a prompt for Glasgow as Kevin Tkachuk sprinted fully 20 metres from a lineout for the bonus-point try, which Parks converted from well out on the right.

Glasgow then lost both props into the sin-bin, both for collapsing Connacht’s driven mauls. The second of those infringements cost Glasgow a penalty try, which Warwick converted. But amid the farce of uncontested scrums Parks kicked his third penalty goal for a match haul of 20 points.

Connacht – Daniel Riordan; Darren Yapp, Gavin Duffy, John Hearty, Conor McPhillips; Paul Warwick, Chris Keane; Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin, Ray Hogan, Michael Swift, Andrew Farley (captain), John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, Colm Rigney.

Glasgow Warriors – Francisco Leonelli; Rory Lamont, Graeme Morrison, Scott Barrow, Thom Evans; Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge; Justin Va’a, Fergus Thomson, Moray Low, Andy Newman, Alastair Kellock (captain), Steve Swindall, John Barclay, John Beattie.

Referee – Neil Ballard (Wales).

This article was posted on 13-Apr-2007, 19:32 by Hugh Barrow.