Leinster make URC statement with Glasgow rout

MATCH REPORT: There will be a new United Rugby Champions title holder, the fourth in as many years.

Irish province Leinster kept alive their dream of ending a four-year drought without silverware when they produced a 37-19 rout of defending champions Glasgow Warriors in Dublin on Saturday – a scoreline that flatters the visitors.

After the Stormers in the inaugural season (2022), Munster (2023) and Glasgow (last year), Leinster will host the Bulls or Sharks next week to crown the 2025 champions.

It is the first time Leinster has progressed beyond the semifinals.

It was Glasgow’s third loss in Dublin this year – twice in the URC and a 52-point Champions Cup whitewash.

It was, for almost 70 minutes, one-way traffic in testing conditions, with pouring rain before and during the game that resulted in more than usual kicking by both teams.

Leinster, coping with the conditions much better than the visitors, used their kicking game to great effect.

It also did not help the visitors that their error count and penalties increased throughout the game

However, the real difference was the mostly clinical display by a superior Leinster team.

* To recap all the drama, CLICK HERE!

* The article continues below …

A penalty from the kick-off allowed Leinster to set up a line-out inside the Glasgow 22. They took it through multiple phases, well into double digits, before hooker Dan Sheehan burst through the slimmest of gaps. Flyhalf Sam Prendergast added the conversion – 7-0 after four minutes.

Glasgow hit straight back. A sublime grubber by Kyle Rowe exposed the defence and saw George Horne run unto a free bal. The conversion attempt was wide of the mark – 5-7.

The teams now engaged in a brutal arm-wrestle for dominance in the contest.

Leinster got the next score, a Prendergast penalty in the 23rd minute – 10-5.

Jamie Osborne thought he had scored his team’s second try, but the TMO found a forward pass from Jamison Gibson-Park.

However, moments later, it was a sublime offload from wing James Lowe that put Osborne over. Prendergast was wide of the mark with his conversion – 15-5 after 28 minutes.

With Fin Richardson under constant pressure in the scrums, the Glasgow prop was penalised for a set-piece error. From a line-out play Thomas Clarkson went over from close range. Another miss by Prendergast made it 20-5 for the home team.

Sheehan got his second try and Leinster’s fourth from a line-out maul on the stroke of half-time. Prendergast’s radar was still way off – 25-5 at the half-time break.

In the 51st minute, after a couple of handling errors inside the Glasgow 22, Prendergast hit the upright with a penalty attempt as the visitors hung on for dear life with their declining hopes of a comeback.

It followed an official warning to the Warriors for repeated infringements inside their 22.

In the 54th minute a Gibson-Park pass found Osborne for the midfielder’s second try. Prendergast finally landed a conversion – 32-5 and the game over as a contest.

The arrival of replacements like international stars Rabah Slimani and RG Snyman ensured there was no way back for the visitors.

Ciarán Frawley scored the next try, as the Glasgow heads dropped even more – 37-5.

Replacement Jamie Dobie and start centre Sione Tuipulotu got a late consolation tries for Glasgow, with centre Tom Jordan adding the conversions – ending 68 scoreless minutes for the visitors, 19-37.

That is how it finished.

Man of the match: Captain Kyle Steyn was one of the few Glasgow players who could keep his head high. Dan Sheehan, Jimmy O’Brien, Jordie Barrett, Ryan Baird, and James Lowe were all in the frame. My vote goes to Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park – for his crisp service and tactical brilliance, including some great kicking.

The scorers

For Leinster
Tries: Sheehan 2, Osborne 2, Clarkson, Frawley
Cons: Prendergast 2
Pen: Prendergast

For Glasgow Warriors
Tries: Horne, Dobie, Tuipulotu
Cons: Hastings, Jordan

Teams

Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Jamie Osborne, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan (captain), 7 Scott Penny, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter.
Replacements: 16 Rónan Kelleher, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Ciarán Frawley.

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Tom Jordan, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 George Horne, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Euan Ferrie, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Alex Samuel, 3 Fin Richardson, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Max Williamson, 20 Jack Mann, 21 Macenzzie Duncan, 22 Stafford McDowall, 23 Jamie Dobie.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)

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