The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Warriors’ 100% record still intact
Southern Kings blown away on a windy Glasgow night
Glasgow were maybe too loose at times against the winless Southern Kings but they still scored seven tries on a windy Scotstoun night to continue their perfect start to the Guinness PRO14.
Too many risky off-loads went to ground and it took longer to subdue the South Africans than the Warriors would have liked, especially in the set-piece, but eventually the visitors ran out of puff and tries flowed in the last 20 minutes.
The young half-back pairing of man of the match George Horne and Adam Hastings maybe tried a little too much at times but both had strong games, with the pack eventually walking over the Kings in the last few minutes.
After two losses in Europe, it was a welcome win for the Warriors to maintain their 100% start to the PRO14 with the added welcome news that Conference A rivals Munster lost at Connacht.
The Warriors took just 50 seconds to open the scoring but spent the next half hour struggling to impose themselves on the lively Kings.
On their first possession a loose pass had Sam Johnson making a standing start just inside his own half, but the centre stepped away from two defenders, sprinting into space to link with the supporting Stuart Hogg to race in for the try.
The strong wind against caught Adam
Hastings’ conversion, and Glasgow struggled trying to get out of their own territory, allowing the Kings to get a foothold. Full-back Masixole Banda kicked two penalties, the second from near halfway.
The Scotstoun crowd were getting restless but when Kings captain Michael Willemse limped off, the Warriors suddenly broke out for two quick tries.
Matt Fagerson had knocked on close to the line after another Johnson break but the teenage No 8 was quickly involved again taking the ball to the line and allowing Matawalu to leap over the ruck to score.
Hastings converted and then immediately led a breakout from his own 22, linking with Horne and Matawalu and Grigg’s perfect line against the drift defence saw him burst through to score.
Up 19-6 looked a lot better no doubt at the break, but the Warriors needed to step up the pace with the wind in their favour and there was still too much looseness about their play early in the second half.
It took a Matawalu breakout to spark the crowd to life again on the hour, and from a slick lineout move Zander Fagerson went straight through a tackle for the bonus point try.
Hastings missed the conversion, but replacement Ruaridh Jackson did much
better when Matt Smith finished off an impressive lineout maul for the fifth try.
A series of forward drives ended with Horne credited with a try in a scramble at the line, and although a loose pass from replacement debutant Stafford McDowell was intercepted for a score by Jacques Nel, another sub, George Turner, added a seventh try deep into added time.
Attendance: 7,351. Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; L Jones, N Grigg, S Johnson, N Matawalu; A Hastings, G Horne; A Allan, P MacArthur, Z Fagerson; S Cummings, J Gray; R Harley (capt), M Smith, M Fagerson. Replacements: G Turner for MacArthur 53, R Grant for Allan 65, A Nicol for Z Fagerson 70, G Peterson for Cummings 65, L Wynne for Smith 70, R Jackson for Hastings 63, S McDowall for Johnson 65, L Masaga for Jones 58.
Southern Kings: M Banda; Y Penxe, B Klaasen, L Vulindlu, A Bock; M du Toit, R van Rooyen; S Ferreira, M Willemse (capt), R de Klerk; S Greeff, B de Wee; A Ntsila, J van Vuuren, R Lerm.
Replacements: T Balekile for Willemse 31, M Majola for Ferreira 67, M Dreyer for de Klerk 46, L Mtyanada for de Wee 67, K Majola for van Vuuren 67 , R Gouws for van Rooyen 61, O Zono for du Toit 38, J Nel for Klaasen 67.
Referee: M. Adamson.