LEINSTER MOVED TO the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table as Ian Madigan’s penalties proved crucial in a six-try affair. Scores for Noel Reid and Darragh Fanning had the league champions well on top but they needed a late Rhys Ruddock try to seal a hard-fought victory.
The home side hit the front after four minutes when inside centre Noel Reid broke through the Warriors line from 22 metres out. He evaded Peter Murchie and slid over under the posts. Warriors response was emphatic as Ruairidh Jackson sniped into the Leinster 22 and found Finn Russell for the converted try.
Matt O’Connor’s men edged in front with a Madigan penalty before a blistering Tommy Seymour break up the left eventually led to stretched Leinster conceding a try to Richie Vernon on the right. 12-10 was the Warriors lead but another two Madigan penalties, with Marty Moore dominating at the scrum, settled home nerves. Home pressure led to a TMO that did not go in their favour but there was no arguing with Fanning’s try just before the break as he splashed over seconds after taking a Zane Kirchner pass on the charge.
Russell tagged on a late penalty to make it 21-15 at the break and the deficit was wiped out 10 minutes into the second-half. Niko Matawalu was awarded a try after scurrying in from close range. Russell added the extras and Leinster were in a real dogfight. It was a strange decision, then, for O’Connor to call the impressive Moore ashore. The tight-head may well be in from the start against Italy next week but Leinster fans were not happy to see him go.
Leinster besieged the Glasgow line mid-way through the half and, despite the inclement playing conditions, went through enough phases to commit numbers to rucks and free up space out wide. Fergus McFadden and Jordi Murphy had darts at the line but the pressure eventually told when Rhys Ruddock bullied his way over in the right-hand corner. Madigan nailed an excellent conversion from the touchline but the Scots were still within a converted try of snatching victory.
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O’Connor freshened up his defensive lines by emptying his bench, with Dominic Ryan and Richardt Strauss making important, tackling cameos. With five minutes to go Russell knocked over a penalty, rather than going for an attacking line-out. warriors felt another scoring opportunity would come but Leinster starved them of possession in the closing stages to ascend the Pro12 table.
Leinster: Zane Kirchner; Darragh Fanning, Fergus McFadden, Noel Reid, Sam Coghlan-Murray; Ian Madigan, Eoin Reddan; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Martin Moore; Leo Cullen (capt.), Mike McCarthy; Rhys Ruddock, Shane Jennings; Jordi Murphy.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, Michael Bent, Mike Ross, Tom Denton, Dominic Ryan, Isaac Boss, Jimmy Gopperth, Darren Hudson.
Glasgow: Peter Murchie; Tommy Seymour, Richie Vernon, Finn Russell, Niko Matawalu; R Jackson, C Cusiter (capt.); Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Ed Kalman; Tim Swinson, Johnny Gray; James Eddie, Robert Harley, Josh Strauss.
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Jon Welsh, Leone Nakarawa, Tyrone Holmes, Henry Pyrgos, Mark Bennett, Lee Jones.
Marty Moore signals Six Nations intent as Leinster edge out Glasgow Warriors
Leinster 28
Glasgow Warriors 25
LEINSTER MOVED TO the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table as Ian Madigan’s penalties proved crucial in a six-try affair. Scores for Noel Reid and Darragh Fanning had the league champions well on top but they needed a late Rhys Ruddock try to seal a hard-fought victory.
The home side hit the front after four minutes when inside centre Noel Reid broke through the Warriors line from 22 metres out. He evaded Peter Murchie and slid over under the posts. Warriors response was emphatic as Ruairidh Jackson sniped into the Leinster 22 and found Finn Russell for the converted try.
Matt O’Connor’s men edged in front with a Madigan penalty before a blistering Tommy Seymour break up the left eventually led to stretched Leinster conceding a try to Richie Vernon on the right. 12-10 was the Warriors lead but another two Madigan penalties, with Marty Moore dominating at the scrum, settled home nerves. Home pressure led to a TMO that did not go in their favour but there was no arguing with Fanning’s try just before the break as he splashed over seconds after taking a Zane Kirchner pass on the charge.
Russell tagged on a late penalty to make it 21-15 at the break and the deficit was wiped out 10 minutes into the second-half. Niko Matawalu was awarded a try after scurrying in from close range. Russell added the extras and Leinster were in a real dogfight. It was a strange decision, then, for O’Connor to call the impressive Moore ashore. The tight-head may well be in from the start against Italy next week but Leinster fans were not happy to see him go.
O’Connor freshened up his defensive lines by emptying his bench, with Dominic Ryan and Richardt Strauss making important, tackling cameos. With five minutes to go Russell knocked over a penalty, rather than going for an attacking line-out. warriors felt another scoring opportunity would come but Leinster starved them of possession in the closing stages to ascend the Pro12 table.
Scorers
Leinster:
Tries: Reid, Fanning, Ruddock
Conversions: Madigan (2)
Penalties: Madigan (3)
Glasgow:
Tries: Matawalu, Russell, Vernon.
Conversions: Russell (2)
Referee: N Owens (Wales)
As it happened: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors, RaboDirect PRO12
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Guinness PRO12 Six Nations Ireland Leinster marty moore Match Report Noel Reid Report Table Toppers Glasgow Warriors Italy