| Guinness Pro14: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors |
|---|
| Leinster: (24) 55 |
| Tries: Baird 3 Kearney 3, Lowe 2, Fardy Cons: Byrne 3, Frawley 2 |
| Glasgow Warriors: (7) 19 |
| Tries: Seymour, Steyn, Allan Cons: Horne, Jackson |
Leinster were at their ruthless best in a nine-try demolition of Glasgow Warriors.
The Irish province had secured the bonus-point by half-time with tries from Ryan Baird, Dave Kearney, James Lowe, and Scott Fardy.
Baird and Kearney completed hat-tricks and Lowe a double.
Tommy Seymour, Kyle Steyn and Alex Allan crossed for Glasgow but it barely registered as Leinster brushed them aside.
The 20-year-old Baird, who delivered an extraordinary performance in only his second senior start, opened the scoring with a pick-and-go try in the fourth minute.
Leinster were superb throughout, with Luke McGrath’s passing inviting his forwards again and again over the gain line and the backs razor-sharp when they got the ball.
They were soon back in the 22 and after more physical carries from the pack Harry Byrne went wide to Kearney to touch down.
Seymour came off his wing to get Glasgow on the scoreboard in the 26th minute as he ran on to a cheeky behind-the-back lofted pass from George Horne.
The Scottish side seemed to be coming back into the game but five minutes later Lowe kept them at bay, taking advantage of a beautifully-timed Fardy offload to speed in from just outside the 22.
With the first half in stoppage time, Fardy spotted a mismatch with Glasgow scrum-half Horne defending the fringe of a ruck near the try-line and he barged past him for the bonus-point try.
Ryan Wilson’s soft hands helped Steyn score to give Glasgow a glimmer of hope after the break but again Lowe responded, making a big break and then using his hand-off and dancing feet to get in for the try when quicker Glasgow defenders caught up with him.
Baird struck for the try of the night in the 56th minute when Byrne put him into a gap and he showed stunning acceleration to pull away on a curving 40-metre run and dot down behind the posts; a few minutes later he was back in the 22 tormenting Glasgow with another close-range effort.
On a night where Leinster’s tight five shone, replacement Warriors prop Allan showed some pace of his own to score in the 71st minute but then Fardy’s soft hands once again created a try; this time for the pacey Kearney.
With the clock red, the Warriors knew they could salvage an unlikely four-try bonus-point with another score, and attempted to run the ball from their own dead-ball area only to spill it, allowing Kearney to pounce for his second hat-trick of the season, and his ninth try in six games.
Leinster pulled 20 points clear of Ulster in the Conference A table, while Glasgow remain third with the Cheetahs close behind.
Leinster: Keenan, Kearney, J O’Brien, Tomane, Lowe, H Byrne, McGrath; Dooley, Cronin, Bent, Baird, Fardy, Murphy, Connors, Deegan.
Replacements: J Tracy, Milne, Aungier, Dunne, Ruddock, Gibson-Park, Frawley, McFadden.
Glasgow Warriors: Bryce, Seymour, Jones, Grigg, Steyn, G Horne, P Horne; Seiuli, Turner, Rae, Harley, Swinson, Wilson, Gordon, Fagerson.
Replacements: Dolokoto, Allan, McQuillin, Davidson, Gibbins, Dobie, Jackson, Matawalu.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
