Seymour is on song as Leinster are made to suffer away day blues
WINGER Tommy Seymour ran in four tries for Glasgow in a 33-25 victory over Leinster on Scotstoun’s new artificial pitch.
His heroics helped the home side make it two wins in two starts in the Pro12 as Leinster failed to follow up last week’s comfortable win over Treviso at the RDS..
Glasgow have replaced their often-muddy, flooding-prone old pitch with a thoroughly modern playing surface for the new season, and it staged an engrossing match.
Leinster had led 19-12 at the interval, boosted by two tries in the final three minutes. Rob Kearney had scored the visitors’ opener before flanker Josh van der Flier and winger Zane Kirchner, from a delightful crossfield kick by stand-off Joey Carbery, nudged Leinster ahead at half-time.
Seymour had opened the Glasgow try-scoring account and Tim Swinson followed up to add a second.
Carbery added two penalties to his two conversions in the second half for Leinster, but it became the Seymour show. Two tries in two minutes from the Scotland international put Glasgow ahead but Leinster stayed in touch at 26-25. However the fourth try from Seymour made sure.
Henry Pyrgos kicked four conversions in all for the hosts.
The match first came to life in the 15th minute with the home side’s prop Sila Puafisi put in the initial push, followed by a floated pass from centre Sam Johnson, to allow winger Seymour to score an unconverted try.
Leinster responded with a fiveminute occupation of the home 22. Number eight Jordi Murphy seemed sure to score until brought down by Stuart Hogg, but the ball was fed left for full-back Kearney to score and Carbery to convert. Glasgow replied with accomplished handling that eventually cleared Swinson to score under the posts, allowing Pyrgos to convert.
But in the final three minutes of the half, with Glasgow rightwinger Leonardo Sarto in the sin bin, Leinster struck twice.
First, flanker Van der Flier ran in. Then, stand-off Carbery flighted a perfect kick to the right for Kirchner to score. With Carbery converting the first, the visitors went in ahead.
Three minutes into the second period a simple penalty from Carbery allowed Leinster to stretch their lead, but he was soon to make a costly mistake, throwing a pass that was intercepted by Seymour who sped over for a try that Pyrgos converted.
Two minutes later and Seymour had his hat-trick, running in from a long way out to put Glasgow back in the lead and set up a bonus point.
Carbery cut the difference to a point with a second penalty, however Seymour made sure of the home victory with a try under the bar converted by Pyrgos.