Rampant Leinster run in nine tries to leave Glasgow reeling
Glasgow Warriors’ Pro14 play-off hopes suffered a dent in Dublin as Dave Rennie’s side were comprehensively picked apart by a rampant home side.
Second row academy star Ryan Baird and Dave Kearney both scored a hat-trick of tries for Leinster, while Tommy Seymour, Kyle Steyn and Alex Allan tries went unrewarded for Warriors, who could slip out of the top three in Conference B today if Cheetahs win in Wales.
With 105 tries scored between them so far in the league there was always likely to be a few scores and four minutes in lock Baird barged over for his first of two tries on the night.
There was precious little the Warriors defence could do when Leinster got their hand on the ball, such was the ferocity of their carries and the lead was soon increased to 12-0 when Kearney scored his first in the corner.
A great turnover by Matt Fagerson finally eased the pressure on Glasgow after 15 minutes and a couple of good territorial kicks by Pete Horne and Seymour added to their time in the Leinster half.
The try arrived two phases after a scrum on the right, with Seymour’s line back against the grain breaking Leinster’s line for the score, while Pete Horne converted 14 minutes from the interval.
Five minutes later Leinster hit back, though, when some stunning hands across the line sent James Lowe clear for his sixth try of the season, while Scott Fardy barged over to seal the bonus point and a 24-7 half-time lead.
The loss of Tim Swinson just before half-time due to a head injury was a blow to a Warriors second row already weakened by last week’s injury for Leone Nakarawa, and truth be told they looked a beaten docket at that stage.
But three minutes after the restart they hit back when Ryan Wilson’s neat offload down the short side sent Kyle Steyn clear and he scored from nearly halfway to make it 24-12. Horne’s conversion attempt from the left missed its target though.
Seymour left the action shortly after that score and was replaced by Niko Matawalu, and he almost snuffed out Leinster’s fifth try, but after a great steal on halfway a strong hand-off enabled Lowe to cross for his second try.
Baird showed stunning pace for a second row when his mazy run from distance was finished under the posts, while he completed his hattrick 16 minutes from time.
Replacement prop Allen scored at the end of a good move initiated by Matawalu nine minutes from time, but they were unable to find a fourth in the closing stages and Kearney struck as the clock hit 80 minutes to sign off the nine-try win.
SCORERS: LEINSTER:
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
LEINSTER:
Replacements:
GLASGOW WARRIORS:
Tries: Baird 3, D. Kearney 3, Lowe 2, Fardy. Cons: H. Byrne 3, Frawley 2..
Tries: Seymour, Steyn, Allan. Cons: P. Horne, Jackson.
Keenan; D. Kearney, J. O’brien, Tomane, Lowe; H. Byrne, Mcgrath; Dooley, Cronin, Bent, Baird, Fardy, Murphy, Conners, Deegan. Mcfadden for Lowe (66), Frawley for H. Byrne (62), Gibson-park for Mcgrath (58), Milne for Dooley (60), Tracy for Cronin (53), Aungier for Bent (60), Ruddock for Murphy (53), Dunne for Conners (66).
Bryce; Seymour, H. Jones, Grigg, Steyn; P. Horne, G. Horne; Seiuli, Turner, Rae, Harley, Swinson, Wilson, Gordon, M. Fagerson. Matawalu for Seymour (48), Jackson for P. Horne (65), Dobie for G. Horne (65), Allan for Seiuli (65), Dolokoto for Turner (65), Mcquillan for Rae (56). Davidson, Gibbins.
Replacements:
Not used: