The Scotsman reports


Glasgow 30 - 6 Leinster: Glasgow boost play-off hopes with vital victory over Leinster
Euro champions beaten at Firhill

Published Date: 24 April 2010
By DAVID FERGUSON
AT FIRHILL
GLASGOW moved to the penultimate round of the Magners League with their play-off aspirations alive and kicking after this comfortable win, but they made hard work of a dogged Leinster second-string at Firhill last night.


The Scottish side could not have secured their play-off place no matter the size of the winning margin, but they failed to grasp the opportunity to score four tries and claim a bonus point despite Leinster receiving four yellow cards throughout the 80 minutes, and that could prove decisive when the make-up of top four spots are settled in a fortnight.

Glasgow worked hard throughout, a good set-piece making life difficult for Leinster and enjoying good periods on the front foot, but they were made to battle fiercely at the breakdown. Stephen Keogh at No 8 led a tireless Leinster pack effort, and numerous turnovers were won and lost, hindering Glasgow's attempts to take their attack through more than a few phases. When they did, they looked very dangerous and scored good tries, but for long spells they lacked the wit to outmaneouvre Leinster players that spend most of the season playing reserve rugby.

Full-back Ian Madigan missed his first two penalty attempts and the visitors lost openside flanker Paul Ryan , injured in an early ruck and stretchered off, to be replaced by Dominic Ryan.

Making probably his final Glasgow appearance at Firhill, along with Premiership-bound Kelly Brown and Mark McMillan, Dan Parks gave Glasgow a foothold in the game. He started with garryowens and from a lineout on the left, Glasgow superbly sucked Leinster into midfield to create an overlap. Max Evans almost botched it by ducking inside, but he had just enough strength to free the ball out to Stortoni, who dived over with 22 minutes gone, and Parks converted from the right touchline to take his Glasgow points tally to 1,501.

By the half-hour there was just a point in it as Madigan turned two ruck penalties into six points, one from 15 metres in front of the posts and the other from inside his own half. Fine work by Glasgow captain Al Kellock in the lineout and Brown and Fergus Thomson in the loose lifted the hosts, and Parks' direction pulled Leinster's defence into a tight ball again, from which the fly-half then released an attack wide right. The ball was passed superbly along the line to Morrison, Thomson, Beattie and then Evans, but the centre opted for contact and delayed his pass to Colin Shaw, forcing the winger inside, and when he did pass there was no-one to take it. Parks claimed some points in any case, converting his second penalty with four minutes of the half remaining.

Another great attack involving Kellock, Beattie and Moray Low found Cusiter, and though he was lined up for a thumping tackle by Dominic Ryan, the replacement flanker, Ryan was instantly yellow-carded for failing to roll away from the scrum-half. Cusiter regained his feet after some treatment and Parks kicked another three points to send Glasgow into the break 13-6 ahead.

It was a deserved lead, the tries having shown Glasgow to have a more clinical edge, but it was merely a starting point for Sean Lineen's side to build on and put this game to bed. They needed greater accuracy and consistency in possession, and to maintain a higher tempo to the game.

Parks' clever kicking provided the most trouble for the Leinster defence and they lost one of their most experienced forwards to the sin-bin in lock Trevor Hogan when he caught Cusiter around the neck with a high tackle. Parks failed to take maximum advantage, sending a relatively straightforward penalty effort wide.

Glasgow attacked the 13-man Leinster with pace, and after Evans just failed to grasp a fine Parks' crossfield kick Morrison fumbled the ball in the pouring rain with the line beckoning. Leinster were then back to 14 men, but their skipper, the capped hooker Bernard Jackman, was left reeling after a scrum and had to be replaced.

A third Parks' penalty increased the home lead, and Glasgow were swiftly back onto the attack on the visitors' line, good lineout work prompting a good forwards drive to the line, which ended with another penalty and a third yellow card for a Leinsterman, this time the blinside flanker Rhys Ruddock, who had been living on the edge throughout the game.

Glasgow opted this time for a scrum, and when it was pulled down they scrummed another penalty, and though Leinster, with Hogan back, but still at 14 men, forced them back, Glasgow built again and should have scored when Beattie surged into a gap, but his pass off the ground to John Barclay was lost forward by the flanker on the line.

As the game wandered into the last quarter and passes started to go astray, tries seemed a forgotten art. But then, in one move of precision, they scored a second try and turned the bland into the sublime.

A lineout on the 22 was scrappy, but Barclay fed McMillan, who found Rob Dewey, the replacement wing coming in off the right flank, and he skipped past Paul Ryan and streaked to the posts. Glasgow dominated the final ten minutes, the visitors again reduced in personnel when tighthead prop Mike Ross received his side's fourth yellow card of the night.

Lineen turned to the future of Glasgow rugby in sending on Duncan Weir, the 19-year-old Glasgow Hawks stand-off signed for next season, but it was the old master Parks that ensured a good finish when his trademark crossfield kick set up a final score for Dewey, which he converted, and set up an emotional after-match farewell to the Firhill support.

Scorers: Glasgow: Tries: Stortoni, Dewey 2. Cons: Parks 3. Pens: Parks 3. Leinster: Pens: Madigan 2.

Glasgow: Stortoni; Shaw, M Evans, Morrison, O'Hare; Parks, Cusiter; Tkachuk, Thomson, Low, Barker, Kellock, Brown, Barclay, Beattie. Replacements: Weir for Stortoni (76), Dewey for Shaw (57), McMillan for Cusiter (57), Kalman for Tkachuk (71), Hall for Thomson (57), Turner for Barker (67), Forrester for Barclay (68).

Leinster: Madigan; S Keogh, O'Malley, Tonetti, Keating; O'Donohoe, Keane; McCormack, Jackman, Ross, Hogan, C Ruddock, R Ruddock, P Ryan, S Keogh. Replacements: Macken for S Keogh (71), Monahan for Tonetti (71), Conway for Keane (57), McGrath for McCormack (59), Harris-Wright for Jackman (49), Flanagan for C Ruddock (67), D Ryan for P Ryan (7).

This article was originally posted on 24-Apr-2010, 06:37 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 24-Apr-2010, 09:38.