Munster threaten second half comeback but come up short against Glasgow Warriors
Munster had to be content with just a try bonus point after chasing the game from the early stages against the URC leaders Glasgow Warriors who were without 15 Scottish internationals.
Munster, themselves shorn of eight Irish internationals, threatened a good comeback when they had the wind in the second half and a cut a 23-point deficit down to eight but Glasgow finished the tie strongly at Scotstoun to make it nine wins on the bounce and inflict a fourth league defeat in their last five games on Clayton McMillan’s men.
Glasgow, playing with the strong wind, had just 26 per cent possession in the opening nine minutes and yet, remarkably, built a 14-0 lead as Munster endured a nightmare spell after dominating the opening five minutes.
It looked like Munster had crowned that bright start with a try but No 8 Brian Gleeson had his effort off a lineout scratched for a double movement and the league leaders hit them with a double whammy.
Munster finished the first half poorly, though.
Butler failed to find touch with a penalty into the wind down the right and Glasgow immediately countered from deep and stretched the Munster cover with Abrahams was binned for a deliberate knock-on as he tried to intercept a pass down his wing.
Glasgow went to the left corner and got in for the bonus point try with Lancaster picking out McKay with another excellent long pass and the conversion pushed them 28-5 in front at the break.
It took some frantic defending on the line by Diarmuid Barron and Dan Kelly to deny Angus Fraser a try three minutes after the restart, while a try from academy hooker Seb Stephen after another flowing move down the left was called back after a knock-on by scrumhalf Ben Afshar was spotted by TMO Adam Jones.
Munster got back into the game when Kelly broke from deep and fended Smith before escaping down the right and pull away to score in the corner after 51 minutes.
Ten minutes later Munster closed the gap, cutting it to 28-15 into the final quarter.
But 28-22 was as close as Munster got. Wood kicked dead with a penalty from the middle of the field just when they were building momentum to try and snatch the game and Glasgow worked the clock thereafter with their superior scrum proving decisive.
