Weir’s late try in Wales keeps Glasgow on course for Pro12 play-offs

Pro12 champions edge past struggling Dragons to go fifth

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 15 GLASGOW 18

Champions Glasgow remain in the hunt for the Guinness Pro12 play-offs thanks to a nervy victory over Newport.

The Warriors climbed from eighth to fifth, leapfrogging Munster, Ospreys and Edinburgh, thanks to a two-try success at Rodney Parade, the winning score coming late on through fly-half Duncan Weir.

Glasgow headed into the game against the Welsh strugglers with no margin for error and were boosted by the presence of six players released from Six Nations duty by Scotland.

Weir and back row forwards Rob Harley and Josh Strauss started while props Gordon Reid and Zander Fagerson and scrum-half Grayson Hart were among the replacements.

The first half was a rather frantic affair with plenty of endeavour, errors and two fly-halves kicking beautifully.

Angus O’Brien booted the hosts into an early lead only for Glasgow pivot Weir to respond in the 10th minute.

Two more penalties saw the Dragons go into a 9-3 lead with visiting lock Greg Peterson shown a yellow card for a bodycheck on O’Brien.

Weir and O’Brien traded penalties for it to be 12-6 to the hosts after half-anhour and they put the squeeze on through their driving lineout approaching the break in a bid for a key score only for the Scots to defend resolutely.

In fact, the Warriors nearly made it a three-point game with the final play only for Weir’s drop goal after a foray by halfback partner Mike Blair to go wide.

But the visitors were in front for the first time just two minutes into the second half thanks to centre Alex Dunbar’s powerful run on his comeback from a thigh injury, the Scotland hopeful’s score converted by Weir for 13-12.

O’Brien’s fifth effort made it 15-13 after 49 minutes but Glasgow thought they were back in front on the hour when Reid went over by the posts only for Irish official Gary Conway to penalise him for having been part of the ruck before picking up the ball and crossing.

Weir missed a simple penalty with 16 minutes left, although home full-back Carl Meyer was also wide with a longrange effort.

However, Weir crossed with seven minutes left after being given a simple run-in by Strauss, whose offload after a powerful charge down the right was given the all-clear by the TMO.

Newport: Meyer, Hewitt, Hughes, Warren, Scott (Wardle 77), O’Brien, Pretorius, Price, T Thomas (Buckley 67), Harris, Hill, Screech (Landman 56), Crosswell, Cudd (Benjamin 77), Evans, Buckley (Gustafson 73). Not used: Fairbrother, C Davies, G Jones.

Glasgow: Murchie, Naiyaravoro (Jones 54), G Bryce, Dunbar, Hughes, Weir, Blair (Hart 66), Yanuyanutawa (Reid 38), Brown (Malcolm 61), Puafisi (Fagerson 61), Peterson, Nakarawa, Harley, Favaro (Fusaro 66), Strauss (Eddie 75). Not used: Lyle.

Picture: SNS Group. Duncan Weir: went in for the late try that earned Glasgow a hard-fought victory at Rodney Parade.