Glasgow Warriors 36-19 Connacht

Gregor Hiddleston’s brace, along with tries from Rory Darge, Josh McKay and Seb Stephen, helped to seal all five points for the Warriors, who move top of the table for 24 hours at least.

Whilst Connacht enjoyed the better of the initial exchanges, there was no way through to be found for the men in green. An attempted drop goal from Ciaran Frawley was charged down by Rory Darge in midfield, before a thunderous hit from Matt Fagerson forced the error from the visitors.

Darge was at it again with 11 minutes on the clock as the flanker reacted quickly to deny Bundee Aki, with Scott Cummings following suit with a crucial intervention five metres from his own try-line. The early pressure from the visitors would eventually tell, however, Sean Jansen barging over from close range with 15 minutes gone. Frawley converted, and Connacht held a 7-0 lead.

Glasgow’s response was swift, and the Warriors were rewarded with a first score of their own as the opening quarter drew to a close. A strong carry from Sione Tuipulotu laid the foundation, before Dan Lancaster dispatched a penalty to within seven metres of the Connacht tryline. The power of the Glasgow pack proved too much for their opponents, Hiddleston finding his man before burrowing himself over the line from the back of the rolling maul. The conversion was off target, but the deficit was down to two points.

The maul was at it again shortly after the half-hour mark, as the next score in an increasingly hard-fought contest went the way of the Warriors. Hiddleston’s navigation and the patience of the men in black allowed Darge to smuggle the ball over the whitewash and touch down, George Horne converting for a 12-7 advantage.

Momentum was with the men in black as they half drew to a close, and with the clock in the red at the end of the opening period, Franco Smith’s men struck for their third score of the night. Once more the maul did the damage, and with Connacht winger Shayne Bolton in the sin bin after repeated penalties on his own try-line, Hiddleston took full advantage to dot down for his second try of the evening. Horne added the extras, giving his side a 19-7 lead at the break.

Having seen the forwards enjoy all of the scoring action in the first half, the backs wasted no time in making themselves known at the start of the second stanza with a superbly-worked try three minutes after the restart. A perfectly weighted cross-kick from Lancaster to Jamie Dobie allowed the winger to gather and chip back inside for the onrushing McKay, the full-back gathering and haring over for a try that brought the East Stand – and the Warrior Nation overall – to its feet. Horne converted for his third successful attempt from the tee of the night, and the hosts led 26-7.

Connacht wasted no time in going in search of a response of their own, and found one with 47 minutes played. Phases of pressure within the Glasgow 22 eventually yielded enough space and time for Josh Ioane to take the ball on a short line and dive over, Frawley’s conversion narrowing the gap to 26-14 with half an hour remaining.

The gap would narrow yet further as the match entered the final quarter, Connacht once again showing that they wouldn’t go away without a fight. Once more it was Ioane who breached the Glasgow defence, the full-back getting on the end of swift handling to exploit an overlap and dive over in the corner. The conversion sailed wide, leaving the scoreline reading 26-19 in favour of the home side.

Roared on by the Warrior Nation, Glasgow wasted no time in re-establishing their two-score lead. Stephen was the catalyst, the replacement hooker’s barnstorming carry down the wing forcing Connacht to transgress and allow Lancaster to direct play into the corner. From there, the Glasgow pack needed no second invitation, Stephen the beneficiary of a fourth scoring maul of the night for a try that – allied to Horne’s conversion – gave the Warriors a 33-19 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Desperate for a fourth try of their own that would yield a bonus point, Connacht continued to fight for every inch of territory and possession, hammering away at the Glasgow try line. Yet even with Scott Cummings in the sin bin after one too many penalties were conceded by those in black, the home side’s defence refused to buckle. McKay’s pressure in defence ultimately produced the crucial turnover, to the delight of the Scotstoun faithful.

Instead, the final act of scoring on the night went to Lancaster, the fly-half knocking over a penalty from directly in front of the posts to round out both the scoring and the match. A bonus-point win at home for the Warriors – and one that sets them up well for the beginning of a new Investec Champions Cup season next weekend.