Connors Leads Leinster’s Defensive Effort In Rare Scotstoun Triumph

Cian Kelleher and Ross Byrne combined to do all of Leinster’s scoring as they quashed Glasgow Warriors’ lightning-quick start to record their first GUINNESS PRO14 win at Scotstoun Stadium in seven years.

Byrne converted Kelleher’s 30th and 34th minute tries and fired over three penalties, including a vital second half brace of kicks, as Leo Cullen’s youthful side – showing a full 15 personnel changes from their Lyon trip – recovered impressively from some early setbacks.

Glasgow full-back Ruaridh Jackson scored two tries of his own, the first while Leinster’s Hugo Keenan was in the sin-bin. Yet, the Warriors lost their grip on a 10-3 lead as Kelleher’s snappily-finished efforts moved the visitors seven points clear.

As good as Leinster’s score-taking was, tonight’s hard-earned result was crowned by a dominant second half defensive performance. Man-of-the-match Will Connors was in razor sharp form, putting in a number of important tackles and maintaining a big presence at the breakdown.

Fit-again replacement Fergus McFadden made his mark with a crucial try-saving tackle on Jackson late on, while there were further plaudits for the collective defence when they shut out a bonus point-hunting Glasgow through 30-plus phases during the dying minutes.

In what was a repeat of last season’s PRO14 final in the Scottish city, Leinster endured a very testing opening spell as full-back Keenan saw yellow in the third minute for bundling over Huw Jones as he chased Sam Johnson’s grubber kick.

With captain Ross Molony to the fore, Leinster managed to halt the resulting maul but Glasgow worked the ball wide for Jackson to slide over in the opposite corner. His try went unconverted and a Molony lineout steal helped his side to stand firm amid further pressure on their defence.

22-year-old Leinster Academy forward Oisin Dowling had to replace the injured Josh Murphy, and after Niko Matawalu fumbled a try-scoring chance and Pete Horne missed a penalty attempt, Ross Byrne opened Leinster’s account with a 13th-minute penalty to punish an offside.

Keenan returned to the fray and play ebbed back and forth until Jackson struck again, rounding off a period of pressure from the Glasgow pack as he went over from close range via an Ali Price pass. Again though, Horne’s conversion was off target and the deficit stood at just seven points.

Leinster’s attack clicked into gear just past the half hour mark, Mullingar man Conor O’Brien breaking a tackle and passing out of another to send Kelleher scampering over from the left for his first try since returning to his native province in the summer.

The extras were comfortably added by Byrne who was involved in the build-up to the second touchdown. O’Brien was a menace once more in midfield, and O’Connor and Byrne set up the onrushing Keenan to take on Jackson and Tommy Seymour and offload neatly for Kelleher to finish off in the left corner.

A terrific touchline conversion from Byrne made it 17-10 at the interval, and the second half saw Leinster’s young pack grow further in stature, winning more collisions and playing the smarter rugby under the direction of the excellent Molonyand influential half-backs Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park.

A very effective third quarter performance deserved more on the scoreboard, but a Byrne penalty in the 57th minute was some reward. As their maul became more of a weapon and the fiercely-determined defence squeezed errors out of Glasgow, Byrne’s trusty right boot made it a 13-point margin with around 10 minutes remaining.

In a frantic finish, McFadden put his body on the line to force a knock-on from Jackson. Second row Jonny Gray was also held up over the whitewash as Leinster, who top their Conference by eight points, head into their European double header against Northampton Saints with plenty of momentum.