Scotland on Sunday--reports
Victory marred by horror injury

IAIN MORRISON
AT HUGHENDEN

GLASGOW 32
MUNSTER 10

CRISIS, what crisis? After two consecutive defeats, Glasgow kick-started their season last night at Hughenden and they did so in epic style. The Warriors not only beat the Irish flag bearers for the first time ever in the Celtic League's short history but they did so with some panache, scoring four tries to one. Even then the visitors' sole touchdown came courtesy of the referee, who awarded them a second half penalty try.

Glasgow coach Hugh Campbell was understandably relieved. "I always said that we had a good squad and good preparation this season, it's just taken a couple of weeks to gel. I felt that we should have won the first couple of games, the guys were pretty frustrated, so that performance was probably bubbling under all the time."

The turning point of the match occurred in the closing stages of the first 40 when Munster camped on the Glasgow line for what felt like several centuries but failed to convert any of that pressure into points. The home side also spent most of the second half in defence but, with the slope in their favour, they were able punish any Munster turnover with a 50-yard clearance kick.

Sadly the entire match was overshadowed by an injury to Euan Murray in the opening minutes when he tackled Munster winger Anthony Horgan. The contact looked innocuous enough but it left the big Glasgow prop prostrate on the ground, his body convulsing in a way that ensured the medics lost no time going to his aid.

After some minutes, he heaved himself to his feet to the evident relief of the crowd who had mistakenly cheered, but it proved premature. Murray was in extreme distress, suffering a fit and he obviously had no idea where he was. The sight of five or six medical staff attempting to subdue the outsized and out of control Murray was both poignant and repugnant at the same time - a horror show that no-one wanted to witness.

He wilted a little in the second half but initially the introduction of Stuart Corsar into the Warriors' front row did little to hurt the home side who continued to look good for their lead.

Glasgow's first try had come even before Murray had left the field when flanker Stevie Swindall took advantage of some butterfingers to grab an early touchdown. Scott Lawson made the initial break from an attacking maul and when he was stopped short, centre Scott Barrow had another lunge at the line. The centre lost the ball in the attempt but Swindall dived over the ruck on the Munster line, snatched back the ball and the five points all in one movement.

Parks made the conversion and added two penalties that were rather against the run of play to keep the scoreboard ticking over and while Paul Burke got three points back for the visitors on the 20-minute mark it only served to inspire the home team.

Two more touchdowns followed before half time. The first went to Scotland winger Rory Lamont, who latched on to a Parks cross-field kick to dive over in the right hand corner with his marker Horgan caught hopelessly out of position. After claiming five points, the same man then saved his side the same number by chasing back to stop Munster's David Wallace from scoring after the ex-Ireland flanker had shown outstanding pace to beat all comers to a long hack ahead.

Glasgow were immediately back on the attack and this time they owed their good field position to the referee who blew for a knock on when Horgan had actually kicked the ball slapstick-style when attempting to pick it up. Glasgow rode their luck and Sam Pinder rode a couple of tackles under the posts before feeding Andrew Wilson on the cut for the flanker to dive over.

Parks' conversion gave Glasgow a 25-3 lead and the suspicion that the wind was blowing at their backs was only enforced when Munster blew two simple scoring chances in a frantic passage of play before halftime. Burke pulled wide a penalty attempt from straight in front of the sticks and winger Barry Murphy spilled a pass with the line at his mercy.

The half ended with waves of red jerseys attacking the home line but a combination of brave defence and Munster's insistence of bludgeoning Glasgow into submission meant that the home side took their 22-point advantage to the break.

Munster made three changes for the start of the second half and two shortly after, including the introduction of Lions Ronan O'Gara and Donncha O'Callaghan who ensured that the visitors were quickly on the attack. The visitors needed an early score and they got it after a series of collapsed scrums ended in a penalty try.

Just as Munster threatened to make a match of it, Glasgow grabbed their fourth try of the match and a precious bonus point when Parks' clever kick put winger Mike Roberts under the posts and the game out of reach.

The match wound down with uncontested scrums as hooker Fergus Thomson had replaced Corsar but the final minutes were still hectic as Munster went in search of some points to soothe their damaged pride. Their cause was helped when Parks got himself a yellow card, but in an action replay of the final minutes of the first half some desperate defence kept the home line intact with Calvin Howarth's boot occasionally lifting the siege.

Glasgow's relieved players were able to celebrate a famous victory although their thoughts are sure to stray to their stricken colleague in hospita

This article was posted on 18-Sep-2005, 07:56 by Hugh Barrow.