Glasgow Warriors (0) 5
Attempt: Steyn
Munster (14) 14
Tries: Fekitoa, Frisch Cons: Crowley2

Munster turned in a steely defensive show to win at Glasgow Warriors and arrange a United Rugby Championship semi-final away to Leinster.

Depleted Glasgow met with extra ferocious resistance after the interval earlier than Kyle Steyn broke by, however a late yellow card for Sione Tuipulotu snuffed out house hopes.

It was kitchen sink stuff at Scotstoun, not fairly however fairly sufficient for Munster. Downright ugly for Glasgow.

It was an enormous victory for Graham Rowntree’s group, who misplaced 5 gamers to harm, together with 4 for head harm assessments (HIA), a continuation of their current type on the street in South Africa and an finish to a yr with out loss for Glasgow in their very own yard.

None of that, after all, regarded remotely doubtless halfway by a surreal opening quarter for the guests. They misplaced Peter O’Mahony to harm after a few minutes after which misplaced the luckless RG Snyman not lengthy after. All night time, they misplaced necessary gamers to harm.

A semi-final towards Leinster with a full squad to choose from can be daunting, however Munster shipped some heavy losses right here, even when the primary battle was gained.

Two doubtlessly monumental operators on the night time have been each gone. On prime of that, they’d no ball. Zero. Glasgow have been a little bit of a successful machine going into this they usually put Munster on the again foot from the off. They gained a penalty in entrance of the sticks and went for contact and a shot at a pushed lineout, a well-worn weapon of their armoury all season.

The guests stored them out. Identical story minutes later. A Glasgow penalty in entrance of the posts, a boot to the touch, attacking fury met with defensive resistance. Jack Dempsey acquired himself over the try-line, however Munster’s belligerence gained that second, too, by holding him up.

A psychological carry for positive, however for the way lengthy might they maintain this strain? We by no means actually acquired a solution to that as a result of every part modified proper there, as if a change was flicked.

From greater than 70% possession, try-scoring alternatives and the theft of two of Munster’s lineouts, Glasgow have been now beneath the cosh.

And the place Munster held out Glasgow, Glasgow couldn’t maintain out Munster. First assault they usually nailed it and Fekitoa was on the coronary heart of it. His savage hit on Ollie Smith pressured the turnover within the first place. When Munster waited for his or her hole to open it was Fekitoa who acquired on the top of Crowley’s cross to attain.

Fekitoa is leaving the membership in the summertime. If they may reverse ferret on that call now, they may. Fekitoa was terrific.

‘Purple was the appropriate color’

Crowley made it 7-0 and Glasgow regarded sickened. There was worse to come back for the house facet, a lot worse. Jordan acquired red-carded for a completely avoidable shoulder-to-head deal with on Murray. He had time to go low however selected to not. Purple was the appropriate color.

Having misplaced O’Mahony and Snyman, additionally they misplaced Murray to a HIA. Half an hour gone and three go-to guys off the sphere. Nonetheless, Munster put a penalty to the touch, got penalty benefit as Glasgow’s self-discipline broke and Frisch went by. With Crowley’s additional, they led 14-0. On the spot punishment for Jordan’s error.

Glasgow have been now lacking their 10, and, with a 6-2 cut up bench and no pure fly-half in reserve, their plight turned all of the tougher. Going with simply two backs in reserver was all the time a danger and it backfired.

They held out minutes of Munster strain on the finish of the primary half, important in the event that they have been to have any hope of enjoying their approach into it. Munster have been having none of that. They invited bother on to themselves by coughing up ball, however for the longest time, when Glasgow piled on the warmth, it was only a repeat of what occurred at the start of the primary.

Nice subject place, sufficient ball, a wave of optimism in Scotstoun, however all snuffed out by fierce Munster defence. Ultimately, they broke by, Steyn scampering in up the left. Stafford McDowall missed the conversion.

Glasgow needed to be foot-perfect and ruthless from there, however their error rely price them. A lineout was misplaced when it needed to be gained to ask extra questions of Munster. Scotstoun groaned as one.

Earlier than the top, Tuipulotu was binned for a block close to his personal posts and that was that.

Glasgow have been an attacking surprise all season. They scored 4 tries in 40 minutes at Thomond Park a month in the past. They scored 31 unanswered factors that night time, earlier than Munster took the soiled look off the scoreboard.

At Scotstoun, revenge. Munster should patch up their squad to tackle Leinster. For Glasgow, their URC race is run. It is all about Toulon within the Problem Cup last now.

Rowntree happy with ‘big performances’

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree on Viaplay: “We have got a number of our bodies that might be sore after that, and we’ll see who we will get on the sphere subsequent week.

“I am immensely proud. We dug in there; it is a vastly troublesome place to come back and win, towards a group in type.

“Some big performances from lots of guys in our group, and there is a lot we will do higher.

“We have got big momentum now. We have not had it straightforward this season, however we have labored exhausting. We’ll should be higher to win subsequent week.”

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith on Viaplay: “We should always have scored within the first 25 minutes. We did not get the reward for the strain we constructed.

“Then the crimson card, I am going to by no means use that as an excuse, as a result of we put together for that. Second half, we simply could not breach them. I am actually happy with the gamers’ effort and perception. We’ll take classes, however properly finished to Munster.

“We are going to relaxation and have a go at ending the season pretty much as good as we will.”

Glasgow Warriors: Smith, Cancelliere, Tuipulotu, McDowall, Steyn, Jordan, Horne; Bhatti, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Cummings, Grey, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Brown, McBeth, Berghan, Du Preez, Bean, Vailanu, Value, Jones.

Munster: Haley, Nash, Frisch, Fekitoa, Daly, Crowley, Murray; Loughman, Barron, Archer, Kleyn, Snyman, Beirne, O’Mahony, Coombes.

Replacements: Scannell, Wycherley, Salanoa, Wycherley, Hodnett, Casey, Healy, Kendellen.