April 07, 2007

Glasgow Warriors 26 - 20 Leinster

Celtic League match played at Hughenden on Friday April 6th 2007 | 8 comments

Dan Parks and Rory Lamont helped Glasgow to a fine win
Glasgow Warriors sealed one of their best ever victories to keep alive their quest to claim a top-five finish in the Magners League.

The success at Hughenden was the first against the title-chasing Dubliners for five years and it also preserved their bid to pip Edinburgh in the battle to become Scotland's highest rated professional team.

Warriors raced off to an impressive start, but with mixed rewards. Playmaker Dan Parks had an early opportunity to break the deadlock, however his penalty was narrowly off target.

The Scots kept up the early pressure and fully deserved to surge ahead with a fine touchdown by Hefin O'Hare.

Thom Evans inflicted the initial damage with a dash into the danger zone to set up a ruck.

The ball was recycled for Parks to create the time and space for O'Hare with a perfectly weighted long and looping pass.

Argentinian Felipe Contepomi eased the Leinster jitters as he slotted a penalty at the other end, but Parks replied in identical fashion midway through the half to restore his side's advantage.

And the home fans were roaring their approval as they watched the Warriors carve out another try - albeit with a heap of help from the province.

Shane Horgan was the chief culprit when he sent a careless loose pass infield from the touchline. Contepomi then failed to mop up a deft chip from Parks, allowing Rory Lamont to pounce.

Leinster raised the pace in the build-up to the interval with Horgan attempting to make amends for his error.

He galloped 30 metres into enemy territory, but could not get the crucial final pass to Denis Hickie, who was steaming up on his left shoulder.

The visitors maintained the momentum and the Glasgow defence had to pull out the stops to keep their line intact.

There was also a significant setback for the Warriors when international back-row man Johnnie Beattie was forced off after taking a knock.

They suffered an even bigger blow deep in stoppage time as Leinster were awarded a highly dubious touchdown.

Jamie Heaslip's floated pass to Gordon D'Arcy looked at least a metre forward, but Welsh referee Tim Hayes waved play on and he was left with an unopposed cruise under the crossbar, giving Contepomi a simple kick.

The score acted as a confidence boost to the visitors and they had a straightforward chance to level the contest three minutes after the restart - however Contepomi pushed his 35-metre effort wide of the far post.

D'Arcy completed his quickfire double, taking full advantage of some woeful tackling by the Glasgow back ranks. Contepomi added the important goal.

Parks narrowed the gap to a single point with a well struck penalty and repeated the feat to snatch back the lead and set up a tense finale.

Hughenden erupted in the 62nd minute when Evans glided in for Glasgow's third touchdown.

He broke out of his own 22 before hoofing the ball ahead. Horgan lost his footing in the race, leaving Evans to outpace Hickie for a great solo score. Parks added the extras to give his side a nine-point cushion.

The drama intensified as Contepomi clawed back a penalty from point-blank range, but the Warriors staved off the late rally.

Referee Tim Hayes(Wales)
Attendance 2121
Man of the Match Every Glasgow player played his part but Stevie Swindall's steal on Glasgow's 22 was the play of the match
Team
1
Justin Va'a
2
Fergus Thomson
3
Euan Murray
4
Andy Newman
5
Alastair Kellock
6
Steve Swindall
7
John Barclay
8
John Beattie
9
Graeme Beveridge
10
Dan Parks
11
Thom Evans
12
Scott Barrow
13
Graeme Morrison
14
Hefin O'Hare
15
Rory Lamont
Sub
Scott Lawson
Sub
Kevin Tkachuk
Sub
James Eddie
Sub
Andy Wilson
Sub
Donnie Macfadyen
Sub
Colin Gregor
Sub
Colin Shaw
Match Substitutions
Off On
John Beattie Donnie Macfadyen
Off On
Fergus Thomson Scott Lawson
Off On
Justin Va'a Kevin Tkachuk
Off On
Steve Swindall Andy Wilson
Scorers
Hefin O'Hare Try 
Dan Parks Penalty
Rory Lamont Try 
Dan Parks Penalty
Dan Parks Penalty
Thom Evans Try 
Dan Parks Conversion
Comments
Posted by Rory on April 7, 2007 01:33 AM | Reply to this comment

And lets not forget the visitors fielding 16 players for a few minutes of play midway through the 2nd half.

Were it not for myself and one other Warriors fan shouting this fact out, I don't think the 4th/5th officials would have noticed.

Posted by Euan on April 7, 2007 03:14 AM | Reply to this comment

To be honest there was never the wrong number of players on the Leinster side, they just didn't take a back off when the sin binning took place. As for later on i didnt count 16 players at any point when the ball was in play, but they did however take ages in pulling a player off for a substitution.

Don't get me wrong, the Referee was dire and Horgan should have spent 10 minutes on his backside, not to mention the 4 or 5 penalties they had against them for hands during the breakdown should really have brought a yellow card, but sadly their numbers did tally whenever there was shouting from us.

To be honest both tries for the visitors were not tries, and that alone should be cause for enoguh protest and really an official complaint. However the claim they plaied for a "few minutes" with 16 men is sadly in error and, as any match report will show, that type of cheating at least was not carried out by Leinster.

Posted by Alistair on April 7, 2007 10:59 AM | Reply to this comment

I must put my hand up and say it was my mistake that started the chant of "15 players on the pitch" when they brought on Corrigan during the sin-binning. I miscounted not once, not twice, but three times before I started shouting. I am humilificated.

In my defence though, I'd only started shouting this becasue I hought the ref was incompetent enough to allow that to happen.

Posted by monkey-butt ugly on April 8, 2007 08:24 AM | Reply to this comment

Alistair,
It took some courage to own up to the fact you started the chant that got most of the stand screaming at the ref. Apart from that, I thought you had not a bad game running touch, although I don’t understand how you missed big Horgan’s impression of Joe Calzaghe, right in front of you - must try harder next time.

Finally a very well done to one Mr S. Swindall played out your skin Stevie boy, charges were as impressive as those of Larry Birkhead’s lawyer me thinks!

Love & Kisses.

Posted by gnasher on April 7, 2007 10:50 PM | Reply to this comment

Come on guys - enjoy the victory against the table toppers. Well played everybody. For whatever reasons - it could quite easily have gone the other way but for the resolve of the team. Did I complain that the Leinster subs were sitting in my seat when I arrived? No - well they were bigger than me. But I got it back at half time and had the bragging rights at the end - thanks team.

Posted by Tom on April 8, 2007 07:46 PM | Reply to this comment

Well done to the whole team but special mention should go to Tom Evans, it is this kind of exciting try scoring that will get the crowds flocking to Hughenden or wherever the team plays.

Posted by jenni b on April 9, 2007 08:18 PM | Reply to this comment

Sounds like I missed a wicked game - typical! Congrats to the guys on a great result - interesting that it came on the same weekend as I spent 80 mins at Kingston Park wondering what Northampton have done to the formerly-fabulous Sean Lamont - he looked a shadow of his former self on the wing for Saints. Very strange.

Posted by Aussie John B on April 12, 2007 11:30 PM | Reply to this comment

It is now 6 days later & I am still buzzing from the win on Friday! What a performance! To pick out any of the players - tricky the whole lot were great - and 'The Rock' was a fine place to adjourn to after the game to enjoy the glow.

Carn, Glasgow - give 'em heaps tomorrow night!

Add a comment to this article

If you're replying to an existing comment, please use the 'Reply to this comment' link above the entry. This will display the comments in a way which is far easier for other readers to follow.