Connacht maintained their winning start to the URC season but will be disappointed not to have secured a bonus point given that they had secured victory heading into the final quarter at the Sportsground.
The final scoreline was identical to their opening round win over Ospreys but this time they only managed three tries, despite largely being on top. Cathal Forde had an eventful afternoon, impressing again in the centre before slotting into the scrum when Jarrad Butler was sent to the sin bin, and then taking over the kicking duties when JJ Hanrahan suffered a knee injury having landed awkwardly.
“It was an incredibly tough game,” said Forde, who landed 10 points from his four kicks off the tee. “There was massive intensity but the lads put in an incredible shift. We knew they like to go wide but we kept our width in defence.”
It’s the first time in nine years that Connacht have won their opening two games and they looked set to ease their way to victory when Hanrahan eased them into a 9-0 lead after 15 minutes, despite Glasgow Warriors arriving with a squad featuring eight of Scotland’s World Cup squad — along with Tonga‘s Sione Vailanu. But Connacht will need to sharpen up in defence; moments of sloppiness continue to be punished. From the restart after the third penalty, Forde failed to control Tom Jordan’s kick and it bounced kindly into the path of Kyle Rowe, who crowned his Glasgow debut with a try George Horne converted.
Connacht hit back four minutes later. A good break by Tom Daly created the opening and the scrum half Caolin Blade threaded a grubber Diarmuid Kilgallen chased to score in the left corner. The referee Adam Jones then awarded Glasgow a penalty try and sent Butler to the bin for side-entry as they chased the line after a lineout.
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At 14-14 Connacht’s scrum, with Forde stepping in for Butler, superbly defended four resets five metres from their line before Glasgow’s Zander Fagerson was pinged for wheeling. They regardless failed to defend an attacking lineout and Jordan cantered his way through for Glasgow’s third try.
Connacht got on top after the restart and a try from Dylan Tierney-Martin set them on their way after 47 minutes. Two penalties from Forde pushed the lead out to 27-19 after 58 minutes before Kilgallen intercepted a pass from Jordan inside halfway and recorded a one-handed touchdown. Forde’s conversion made it 34-19 with 19 minutes remaining.
Connacht never looked like getting the try bonus point; Glasgow’s Jamie Dobie got their fourth try.
Star man Cathal Forde (Connacht)
Scorers: Connacht: Tries Kilgallen 2, Tierney-Martin. Cons Forde 2. Pens Hanrahan 3, Forde 2.
Glasgow Warriors: Tries Rowe, Jordan, Dobie, penalty try. Con Horne 1, Weir 1.
Connacht O’Halloran (Reilly 75min); Ralston, Farrell (McNamara 41), Forde, Kilgallen; Hanrahan, Blade (capt); Buckley (Dooley 60), Tierney-Martin (McElroy 16), Aungier (Robertson-McCoy 50); Murray (Dowling 52), Joyce (Murray 61); Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, Butler (Oliver 63).
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Glasgow Warriors McKay; Rowe, Jones, McDowall, Steyn (capt) (Dobie 38); Jordan (Weir 75), Horne; Kebble (McBeth 59), Fraser (Matthews 43), Fagerson (Sordoni 60); Cummings, Gray (Peterson 60); Brown (Darge 43), Vailanu (Miller 62), Venter.
Referee Adam Jones (Wales)
Attendance 4,109