Glasgow Warriors beat Ulster to seal top spot

Kyle Rowe’s 78^th minute score, added to tries from Stafford McDowall, Nathan McBeth and George Horne, ensured that the men in black would earn top seeding for the playoffs under the Friday night lights.

With conditions in Belfast well-suited to running rugby, Franco Smith’s men were looking dangerous, and with seven minutes on the clock they struck for the opening score. Kyle Steyn’s initial incision took the Warriors into Ulster territory, before Tuipulotu’s superbly-timed pass sent McDowall charging through the gap. There was no stopping the centre as he raced under the posts to touch down, Horne converting for a 7-0 lead.

An attritional opening quarter came to a close without any further scoring, though not for the want of trying from those in black. Yet it would be the home side who would strike next, making the most of scrappy ball in the midfield. Zac Ward did superbly to pick the ball up on the half-volley , cutting inside before out-pacing the cover defence to dive over. The conversion attempt was off-target, however, leaving the Glasgow lead standing at two points.

Against the run of play, though, it was Ulster who were next to trouble the scorers. Ward read Dan Lancaster’s wide ball on his own 22, picking off the pass and setting course for the try-line. The winger had just enough pace to get away from the rapidly closing Steyn, Jake Flannery’s conversion giving the home side a 12-7 lead with seven minutes left to play in the first half.

The home side were buoyed by the breakaway score, as they set off in pursuit of a third score of the evening. Rowe did superbly to cut down Werner Kok as he looked to break clear out wide, before Zander Fagerson produced an outstanding turnover on his own 22 to halt the progress of the men in white.

Fagerson was at the heart of the action once more just moments later, as the tight-head provided the catalyst for Glasgow’s second score. A thundering line saw the prop burst through the Ulster defensive line, allowing Lancaster and McDowall to free Rowe. Whilst the winger was stopped just short, McBeth was on hand to barge over from close range, Horne adding the extras for a 14-12 lead.

The final word of a physical opening stanza would go to Horne, the scrum-half adding the final flourish of the half in style. Another big carry from Fagerson was followed by one from McBeth, before Horne’s dummy fooled everyone to allow him to dart over and touch down under the posts. Having converted his own try for good measure, he jogged down the tunnel alongside his team-mates with a 21-12 advantage in hand.

The second half started in equally as frenetic a fashion as the first, with Ulster introducing a raft of replacements as they sought to bolster their playoff hopes. Rowe and Ward would each go close, defences coming out on top in the opening exchanges after the restart.

Ulster knew that the next score could be crucial, and were rewarded for their time in possession with their third try as the clock ticked over the hour mark. Michael Lowry’s kick ahead gave Ethan McIlroy to hare after the ball, the replacement just about beating Steyn to the bounce to touch down. The conversion struck the upright, leaving the scoreline reading 21-17 in favour of the Warriors.

The home side now had momentum, and with 13 minutes to play the home faithful were celebrating once more. Turnover ball saw Nathan Doak kick into space, the ball sitting up for McIlroy out wide to allow the winger to fling a speculative ball back inside. The resulting offload back inside found Jack Murphy, and whilst the fly-half couldn’t convert his own try, Ulster had a one-point lead.

Yet the Warriors remained unbowed, and with three minutes to play came Rowe’s match-winning intervention. Lancaster’s break saw the fly-half race from halfway to the Ulster 22, and when his looping pass found Rowe on the outside, the winger raced into space. He then regained his feet to take Euan Ferrie’s flipped pass and sprint for the corner, finishing despite a high tackle from James Hume in the corner. Horne struck the upright, but the Glasgow defence held firm in the face of Ulster’s last salvo to silence the Aiffidea Stadium faithful.

A famous win in Belfast and top spot secured means Glasgow Warriors play 8th placed Connacht in the first of the BKT URC Quarter-Finals (Friday 29 May, kick-off 7:45pm).