Warriors destroy Kings
PRO14 FRIDAY WRAP: Eight-try Glasgow Warriors got their Pro14 season firmly up and running with a thumping 50-0 victory over winless Southern Kings at Scotstoun.
Meanwhile, there were also wins for Leinster and Ulster on Friday.
We take a closer look at each match!
Glasgow Warriors 50-0 Southern Kings
First-half scores from Grant Stewart, Matt Fagerson, Callum Gibbins, Oli Kebble and Nikola Matawalu gave the hosts a 29-0 lead at the break, and scores from Zander Fagerson, Ratu Tagive and a penalty try after the break put the result beyond doubt.
The Kings rallied in periods but ultimately failed to ever get a foothold in the game, and defeat in Scotland leaves the South Africans still chasing their first Championship win since January.
With six World Cup absentees bolstering their ranks, the Warriors began on top and duly got themselves in front on 10 minutes when Stewart bundled over following a lineout in the corner.
The hosts gained in confidence and, helped by a number of Kings unforced errors, stretched their lead when George Horne eluded the away defence and Matt Fagerson finished off.
Having conceded the fewest number of penalties in the Pro14 across the first four rounds, Kings were uncharacteristically ill-disciplined in the early stages and Gibbins made the most of a penalty to go over for his second of the season.
Ruaan Lerm was sent to the sin bin for a reckless challenge and Kebble instantly punished his South African counterpart by eluding the visitors’ defence and securing Glasgow’s first try bonus point of the season.
And, in just the 26th minute, last season’s runners-up were five tries to the good, Matawalu being fed by Adam Hastings before completing an impressive chip-and-chase.
Masixole Banda had the chance to get the Kings on the board with his boot shortly after half-an-hour, but his missed kick did much to sum up his side’s lacklustre first-half display.
Glasgow started the second period as they left off, with good hands from Kiran McDonald and Pete Horne, and a charging run from DTH Van der Merwe opening up a chance for Zander Fergerson to get in on the act.
The Kings did respond with a good passage of play ultimately without reward, and the dominance of the Warriors pack towards the Kings tryline shortly after the hour mark led to referee Joy Neville awarding a penalty try.
Moments later, the home side got their eighth of the night with a well-worked score that started in their own half, with Tagive going over on his first Warriors appearance for 20 months after a great pass from Pete Horne to wrap up the points.
The scorers:
For Glasgow Warriors:
Tries: Stewart, M Fagerson, Gibbins, Kebble, Matawalu, Z Fagerson, Penalty Try, Tagive
Cons: Hastings 4
For Southern Kings: None
Yellow cards: Ruaan Lerm (Southern Kings, 22); Sibusiso Sithole (Southern Kings, 35)
Teams:
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Glenn Bryce, 14 Niko Matawalu, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Pete Horne, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 George Horne, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Callum Gibbins (captain), 6 Rob Harley, 5 Kiran McDonald, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Grant Stewart, 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 George Turner, 17 Alex Allan, 18 D’arcy Rae, 19 Andrew Davidson, 20 Chris Fusaro, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Stafford McDowall, 23 Ratu Tagive.
Southern Kings: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Christopher Hollis, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Sibusiso Sithole, 10 JT Jackson, 9 Josh Allderman, 8 Ruaan Lerm (captain), 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Aston Fortuin, 4 Bobby de Wee, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Juan Schoman.
Replacements: 16 Alandre van Rooyen, 17 Xandre Vos, 18 Rossouw de Klerk, 19 Jerry Sexton, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Gavin Mills, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Scott van Breda.
Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Keith Allen (Scotland), John Carvill (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Leinster 50-15 Dragons
Defending champions continued their perfect start to the 2019/20 Pto14 season with a ruthless eight-try demolition of Dragons at the RDS.
The only unbeaten team in the Championship, Leinster are now five from five as both wings displayed their expert finishing skills in Dublin – James Lowe and Dave Kearney both grabbing doubles.
Dragons came into the match in decent form themselves with two wins in their opening four, but Leinster are so often a very different prospect and so it proved in Dublin.
Prop Michael Bent got his second try in successive matches at the RDS to open the tryscoring early on, quickly followed by a Sam Davies penalty in reply and Kearney making it 12-3.
Again Dragons replied as fullback Jordan Williams crossed but from there on in it was all the hosts, as young flyhalf Harry Byrne got in before half-time.
The lead at the break was just 19-8 but the gap soon got wider, as Ronan Kelleher nipped over and Kearney got a delightful second following Byrne’s cross-field kick.
More excellent tries flowed as Lowe got in on the act, Hugh O’Sullivan struck just after the hour and Lowe completed his double before Owen Jenkins registered a Dragons consolation.
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Tries: Bent, Kearney 2, Byrne, Kelleher, Lowe 2, O’Sullivan
Cons: Byrne 5
For Dragons:
Tries: Williams, Jenkins
Con: Davies
Pen: Davies
Teams:
Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Dave Kearney, 13 Rory O’Loughlin, 12 Conor O’Brien, 11 James Lowe, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Scott Penny, 6 Max Deegan, 5 Ryan Baird, 4 Devin Toner (captain), 3 Michael Bent, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Peter Dooley.
Replacements: 16 James Tracy, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Will Connors, 21 Hugh O’Sullivan, 22 Ciarán Frawley, 23 Cian Kelleher.
Dragons: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Owen Jenkins, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Ashton Hewitt, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Rhodri Williams (captain), 8 Taine Basham, 7 Ollie Griffiths, 6 Harri Keddie, 5 Matthew Screech, 4 Joe Davies, 3 Leon Brown, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Brok Harris,
Replacements: 16 Ellis Shipp, 17 Josh Reynolds, 18 Lloyd Fairbrother, 19 Max Williams, 20 Huw Taylor, 21 Luke Baldwin, 22 Arwel Robson, 23 Tyler Morgan.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matteo Liperini (Italy)
TMO: Alan Falzone (Italy)
Ulster 22-7 Zebre
Ulster continued their impressive start to the Pro14 season with a well-earned 22-7 victory over struggling Zebre at a wet Kingspan Stadium.
The result also extended the visitors’ away day woes, failing to win away from Parma in 13 attempts as scores from Dave Shanahan, Rob Lyttle and a penalty try dashed their hopes in Belfast.
Zebre had come out of the blocks quickly and taken an early lead through wing Mattia Bellini, only for Shanahan to repel their advantage when he touched down midway through the first half.
And Dan McFarland’s side were dominant in the second period, being awarded a deserved penalty try and Lyttle going over to send a further statement of intent to fellow Conference A high-flyers Leinster and Toyota Cheetahs.
It was the visitors who struck first in the unfavourable rugby conditions, starting strongly and making their early pressure pay in just the 2nd minute when wing Bellini went over from close range.
But it was an early concession that would have frustrated McFarland as the Italian breezed through two missed tackles to dot down and get his side off to the perfect start.
But Ulster rallied despite their failure to cope with Zebre’s early intensity, enjoying considerable territory as they grew into the game and translating it into points on 21 minutes.
Inside centre Luke Marshall made an explosive break through the Zebre defence, unselfishly passing to enterprising scrum-half Shanahan who crossed with ease to restore parity in the contest.
And it was the hosts who took the lead just before the break when a cool Bill Johnston penalty turned around the tables and gave Michael Bradley food for thought at half-time.
The Marshall-Shanahan axis was at it again at the start of the second half when another penetrative burst from the centre freed his partner in crime, but the No.9 was stopped just short of the Zebre line.
And the hosts then wasted a sustained 17-phase period of pressure, struggling to break down a resilient and combative Zebre defence as hooker Rob Herring’s try was ruled out for obstruction by Kieran Treadwell.
But Herring helped his side get on the scoresheet shortly after, at the back of a rapidly-moving maul that Ian Nagle stopped illegally – and was sent to the sin-bin for – and a move that prompted referee Sam Grove-White to decisively award a penalty try.
Lyttle then touched down in the corner after an impressive Johnston kick to extend the hosts’ advantage and send Zebre back to Italy with plenty to ponder.
The scorers:
For Ulster:
Tries: Shanahan, Penalty Try, Lyttle
Con: Johnston
Pen: Johnston
For Zebre:
Try: Bellini
Con: Canna
Yellow cards: Ian Nagle (Zebre, 51); Giovanni Licata (Zebre, 69)
Teams:
Ulster: 15 Will Addison, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Matt Faddes, 12 Luke Marshall, 11 Rob Lyttle, 10 Bill Johnston, 9 David Shanahan, 8 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Matthew Rea, 5 Kieran Treadwell, 4 Alan O’Connor, 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring (captain), 1 Jack McGrath.
Replacements: 16 Adam McBurney, 17 Kyle McCall, 18 Ross Kane, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Sean Reidy, 21 John Cooney, 22 Angus Curtis, 23 Craig Gilroy.
Zebre: 15 Junior Laloifi, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 James Elliott, 12 Tommaso Boni, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Marcello Violi, 8 Renato Giammarioli, 7 Giovanni Licata, 6 Maxime Mbandà, 5 George Biagi (captain), 4 Ian Nagle, 3 Giosuè Zilocchi, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Daniele Rimpelli, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Leonard Krumov, 20 Apisai Tauyavuca, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Enrico Lucchin, 23 Joshua Renton.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Neil Patterson (Scotland)
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