Kelleher gives Blues a Cian edge in Scotstoun
THESE are tough times for Glasgow Warriors. They look a shadow of the team that reached the Pro14 play-off final last season.
In that game back in May they lost to Leinster at Celtic Park but, at least, put up a real fight.
At Scotstoun last night they hardly landed a punch and lost to the visitors again who fielded a reserve side and still won in style.
Glasgow dominated the first 20 minutes but after that were posted missing. Peter Horne missed too many kicks, there was a lack of leadership from Ryan Wilson and far too many mistakes made by the whole team.
Ruaridh Jackson may have scored two tries but it counted for absolutely nothing in the end as the Leo Cullen’s men won easily.
Glasgow made nine changes to the side that lost to Exeter Chiefs in Europe while Leinster made 14 in their under-strength side.
Only Devin Toner survived from the team that beat Lyon away, with internationals Johnny Sexton, Rob Kearney, Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier, Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw all rested.
Glasgow were on the attack from the first moment as they dominated the early stages, helped by a yellow card for Hugo Keenan. They used the man advantage well to create the opening try for Jackson.
Eleven minutes in, Horne missed a simple penalty to increase Glasgow’s lead. Leinster couldn’t believe their luck and went straight up the other end and fly-half Ross Byrne put over a penalty to cut the deficit to two points.
Leinster’s defence was superb but a second try was coming and it was a long pass from Ali Price that sent Jackson over out wide. Horne missed his third kick of the game as his conversion drifted away and went wide.
On the half-hour mark Leinster winger Cian Kelleher shrugged off some poor Glasgow tackling to score, with Byrne converting, followed four minutes later by Kelleher’s second touchdown, Byrne again converting.
It took until the 56th minute for the first score of the second half, a Byrne penalty.
Leinster laid siege to the Glasgow line and had a discipline about them that the home side lacked, Byrne adding a penalty with nine minutes left and super defence secured the win in the face of some desperate attacking by the home side.
Another superb win for Cullen’s side whose strength in depth couldn’t be matched by the Scots.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: R Jackson; T Seymour, H Jones (K Steyn 66), S Johnson (S MacDowall 66), N Matawalu; P Horne, A Price (N Frisby 71); O Kebble (A Seiuli 11), G Turner (G Stewart 70), D Rae (A Nicol 70), T Swinson (K MacDonald 56), J Gray, R Harley, C Fusaro, Wilson. SCORERS: Tries: Jackson (2). LEINSTER: H Keenan; A Byrne (McFadden 69), J O’Brien, C O’Brien, C Kelleher; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park (H O’Sullivan 76); P Dooley (E Byrne 41), J Tracy (B Byrne 11), M Bent (J Aungier 67), R Molony, D Toner, J Murphy (O Dowling 67), Connors, C Doris. SCORERS: Tries: Kelleher (2). Cons: R Byrne (2). Pens: R Byrne (3). referee: Craig Evans (Wales).