URC: Munster 40-29 Glasgow Warriors - Hosts secure bonus-point win in 11-try match
Written by I Dig SportsMunster secured an impressive 40-29 bonus-point win over United Rugby Championship leaders Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park on Friday night.
Edwin Edogbo and Diarmuid Barron tries, plus two scores from Tom Ahern, helped the hosts lead 26-5 at half-time.
A penalty try for Glasgow, as well as touchdowns from Sione Vailanu, Johnny Matthews, Rory Darge and Angus Fraser kept the visitors in the game.
Second half tries from Alex Nankivell and John Hodnett saw Munster triumph.
Graham Rowntree's side got off to a strong start, exerting pressure on Glasgow in the opening exchanges.
It was not long before Edogbo powered his way over from close range to get his side off the mark. Jack Crowley added the extras from the kicking tee.
The breathless opening period from Munster continued and things got worse for the visitors, with prop Nathan McBeth being shown a yellow card for a ruck infringement.
Munster almost immediately made the most of their one-man advantage, with Ahern collecting a cross-kick before barging his way over the tryline and Barron added a third shortly after, finishing off a superb attacking move.
Glasgow hit back with a try from Vailanu, but a second score for Ahern before half-time piled yet more misery on the visitors as the teams went in at the break.
Matthews scored for the Scottish side early into the second half, but Munster maintained the gap with a well-taken first try from centre Nankivell.
Despite Lucio Sardoni received another yellow card for Glasgow, the visitors battled their way back into the game with a try from Darge followed by a penalty try which also earned Tadhg Beirne a yellow card.
The comeback was not to be however, as Hodnett crossed to increase the gap once more and a converted try from Fraser in the dying moments was some consolation for a Glasgow side who waited too long to grow into the game.
Glasgow: McKay, Rowe, Tuipulotu, McDowall (c), Smith, Weir, Kennedy, McBeth, Matthews, Sordoni, Manjezi, Cummings, Vailanu, Darge, Venter.
Replacements: Fraser, Kebble, Z. Fagerson, Peterson, Williamson, Gordon, Afshar, Jordan.
Munster: Daly, Nash, Frisch, Nankivell, O'Brien, Crowley, Casey, Loughman, Barron (c), Archer, Edogbo, Beirne, Ahern, Hodnett, Coombes.
Replacements: Buckley, Kilcoyne, Jager, Wycherley, Gleeson, Murray, Scannell, Kendellen.