Munster Rugby fall to disappointing home defeat to Glasgow in URC

MUNSTER Rugby fell to a disappointing 38-26 defeat to Glasgow Warriors in their United Rugby Championship fixture played at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

The visitors emerged deserving winners of the battle of the league's fourth and fifth-placed sides, scoring five tries in in all, including four in the opening half after which the Scottish side held a comfortable 28-0 lead.

The Scots punished a misfiring Munster to build that significant interval lead, as Fraser Brown’s early maul try was added to by captain Stafford McDowall, Domingo Miotti and Cole Forbes.

A drop goal from 18-point fly-half Miotti was followed by quickfire tries from Munster’s Gavin Coombes and Craig Casey – only for Tongan international Sione Vailanu to crash over on the hour mark.

Although Munster’s five-match winning run in the league came to an end, replacement Josh Wycherley and Calvin Nash both touched downed for a late bonus point.

It was fifth hosting fourth in Limerick, Glasgow building some solid early foundations through their strong set-piece and clever kicking game.

This was Munster's first defeat in their last six BKT United Rugby Championship fixtures.

The Munstermen have won just three of their last seven home games at Thomond Park in the Championship, but three of those reversals were to fellow Irish provinces.

Glasgow Warriors have lost just once in any competition since November and the Welsh side has now won three of their last 10 visits to Thomond Park.

Hooker Brown, one of nine returning Scotland internationals, was driven over from a fifth-minute lineout, with Miotti converting. Munster number eight Coombes was held up just minutes later.

Glasgow doubled their lead to 14-0 in the 24th minute, centre McDowall using Brown’s reverse pass to race through and score despite Joey Carbery and Nash’s attempts to hold him up.

Miotti then found a gap between Paddy Patterson and Diarmuid Barron to make it 21-0. A costly knock-on prevented Munster from opening their account.

Indeed, Franco Smith’s men bounced into the second half on the back of Forbes’ brilliant bonus-point score. Influential Argentinian Miotti extended their lead with his 44th-minute drop goal.

Belatedly awaking from their slumber, a purposeful 52nd-minute Munster maul resulted in Coombes wrestling his way over.

Carbery converted and also added the extras to Casey’s follow-up effort, the scrum-half darting over from a ruck.

Nonetheless, when Glasgow got back into scoring range, Jamie Dobie fought for every inch in a carry before number eight Vailanu powered over for Miotti to convert.

Prop Wycherley replied in the 70th minute after Coombes was stopped short. A long pass from Casey released Nash for the right corner, but it was too little, too late from Munster.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Malakai Fekitoa, Jack Crowley, Shane Daly, Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson, Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue (Capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, RG Snyman, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Simon Zebo.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Ollie Smith, Cole Forbes, Stafford McDowall (Capt), Sam Johnson, Jamie Dobie, Domingo Miotti, Ali Price; Nathan McBeth, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, JP du Preez, Scott Cummings, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Allan Dell, Lucio Sordoni, Lewis Bean, Alex Samuel, Thomas Gordon, George Horne, Tom Jordan.

REFEREE: Andrea Piardi (Italy)