Glasgow Warriors 29
Connacht 27
CONNACHT, HAVING SECURED at least seventh place in the table earlier in the day when Munster held the Sharks to a draw, were unable to keep up their winning run in Scotstoun.
In the process their hopes of winning seven league games in a row for the first time ever also disappeared.
They will now face a quarter-final trip away to Ulster in a couple of weeks and are assured of Champions Cup rugby next season provided neither Scarlets or Benetton win this season’s Challenge Cup.
Connacht can do nothing about that now other than hope that neither get through next weekend’s semi-finals against Glasgow and Toulon.
A win over Glasgow would have secured sixth spot and guaranteed Champions Cup rugby next season, but they would face a trip to Cape Town in a couple of weeks to take on champions the Stormers in the URC quarter-finals.
But they were always in contention against a Glasgow side who were unable to improve on fourth in the table before they head to play Scarlets in the Challenge Cup semi-final next weekend.
Glasgow made a brilliant start with flanker Rory Darge putting his full-back Huw Jones over for the opening try just 50 seconds after the start, with Tom Jordan adding the conversion.
But Connacht were not rattled and they hit back with a superb scrum winning a penalty try after six minutes.
Glasgow hit back with out-half Jordan juggling the ball as he raced through to score after 17 minutes.
Jack Carty pulled back a penalty before a good drive finished with Cian Prendergast getting over ten minutes from the break, withg Carty converting to lead by 17-14.
Glasgow hit back for scrum-half Ali Price to score seven minutes from the break as they turned around leading by 19-17.
Replacement hooker Johnny Matthews extended that lead with a drive off a lineout after 62 minutes, with George Horne converting to make it 26-17.
Cary cut the gap with a penalty, which Horne cancelled, but a try from impressive replacement Shamus Hurley-Langton five minutes from time, which Carty converted, got the gap down to two.
Connacht had a penalty from inside halfway on the right after a great carry from replacement full-back Shane Jennings, but after going to touch they were turned over in the maul and the game was gone.
Glasgow scorers: Tries: Jones, Jordan, Price, Matthews. Cons: T Jordan (2 from 3), G Horne (1 from 1. Pen: Jordan (1 from 1).
Connacht scorers: Tries: Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, penalty try. Cons: J Carty (2 from 2). Pens: Carty (2 from 2).
Glasgow Warriors: Hum Jones (Domingo Miotti ‘37); Jamie Dobie (George Horne ‘11), Stafford McDowall (c), Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes; Tom Jordan, Ali Price; A Dell (Jamie Bhatti ‘45), Fraser Brown (Johnny Matthews ‘46), L Sordoni (Matt Fagerson ‘38); Scott Cummings, Richie Gray (JP du Preez ‘51); Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey.
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran (Shane Jennings ‘69); John Porch, Tom Farrell (Tom Daly ‘59), Cathal Forde, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (c), Caolin Blade (Kieran Marmion ‘54); Denis Buckley (Peter Dooley ‘40), Dylan Tierney-Martin (Eoin de Buitléar ‘50), Finlay Bealham (Sam Illo ‘40); Oisin Dowling (Darragh Murray ‘54), Niall Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (Shamus Hurley-Langton ‘40).
Ref: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy).
