Belfast Telegraph

Munster unable to shrug off their away-day blues

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then to Neil Cronin. Van Graan made key changes after the break, notably bringing on Joey Carbery early in the second half.

After an intense opening period it was Glasgow who had the first chance with a penalty kick at goal, only for Peter Horne’s attempt to drift wide. But when a second chance presented itself, Horne made no mistake.

The Warriors’ points trawl continued with a try by Callum Gibbins from a series of moves that all began after Munster had turned over ball at the contact area and which ended with Adam Hastings delivering a pass to Gibbins. Horne, however, was unable to make the score a seven-pointer.

With Warriors dominating possession and territory it was inevitable that another score would follow. This time the platform was a penalty kick to the corner, then a driving maul that triggered an endless pounding of the Munster line.

But it was a clever grubber kick by outside half Adam Hastings that delivered the coup de grace, the ball sitting up well for Stuart Hogg to touch down in the corner.

Munster then conceded a third try and one which they will not want to watch at Monday’s video session.

Hanrahan was the villain of the piece after fumbling a pass in the visitors’ goal area, allowing Adam Ashe to pounce for the score. Hogg converted to give his side a dominant 22-0 lead.

The visitors’ prospects perked up after the break with a penalty goal by Hanrahan, the out-half ’s final contributi­on before being replaced by Carbery.

Almost immediatel­y Carbery began to pull the strings, allowing Munster’s backs, anonymous in the first half, to show their capabiliti­es on the plastic pitch.

Munster had a chance to add a second score when they repeatedly drove at the Glasgow line but a spilled pass ruined a promising situation.

Their perseveran­ce paid off when Rhys Marshall found a hole in the defence to crash over for his side’s first try, quickly and easily converted by Carbery.

From the restart Munster gave away a penalty to give Glasgow the twin luxury of a breather and a kick at goal — the latter, through Hogg, providing Warriors with a three-pointer. GLASGOW WARRIORS: S Hogg (N Matawalu 73); T Seymour, N Grigg, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe; A Hastings (A Dunbar 63), G Horne (A Price 43 ); O Kebble (J Bhatti 59 ), F Brown (G Turner 50 ), Z Fagerson (D Rae ); R Harley, J Gray; R Wilson (M Fagerson 70), C Gibbins, A Ashe (S Cummings 54).

MUNSTER: M Haley; D Sweetnam, S Arnold, R Scannell (J Taute 64), S Daly; JJ Hanrahan (J Carbery 43), N Cronin (D Williams 34); D Kilcoyne (J Cronin 55), M Sherry (R Marshall 48), J Ryan (S Archer 40), Je Kleyn, B Holland (capt) (F Wicherley 25) D O’Callaghan (T Beirne 40), T O’Donnell, A Botha.

Referee: B Whitehouse (Wales)

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