{"id":358549,"date":"2026-03-22T00:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T00:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/358549\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T00:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T00:02:09","slug":"glasgow-open-up-daylight-at-top-of-urc-table-as-leinsters-top-two-ambitions-take-a-hit-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/358549\/","title":{"rendered":"Glasgow open up daylight at top of URC table as Leinster\u2019s top two ambitions take a hit \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

URC: Glasgow Warriors 38 Leinster 17<\/p>\n

A second consecutive URC<\/a> defeat for Leinster<\/a> and their fifth of the season overall has left Leo Cullen\u2019s<\/a> side facing a battle to finish in the top two for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

After Ulster\u2019s defeat to Connacht on Friday night, Leinster had the opportunity to leapfrog Glasgow at the top of the table. Instead, Franco Smith\u2019s Warriors extended their lead over the defending champions to nine points as they overcame the province for the first time in eight attempts.<\/p>\n

Glasgow were irresistible at times at Scotstoun as they varied the point of their attack and, armed with a dominant maul, they spent most of the opening period in Leinster\u2019s half.<\/p>\n

They were frustrated at first but Leinster eventually buckled under pressure, with Brian Deeny and then R\u00f3nan Kelleher sent to the sinbin. <\/p>\n

Glasgow scored their first try between the two yellows, then added three more when Leinster were reduced to 13 men. Despite the returning Hugo Keenan\u2019s converted try before the break, there was no way back for Cullen\u2019s men.<\/p>\n

It was the visitors who drew first blood when Rieko Ioane\u2019s interception and well-timed pass found Joshua Kenny and the Wicklow speedster beat Ollie Smith to score an 18th-minute try.<\/p>\n

Sam Prendergast, playing for the first time since Ireland\u2019s Six Nations second-round victory over Italy, missed the conversion.<\/p>\n

\"Leinster'sLeinster’s Sam Prendergast chips the ball during the game against Glasgow. Photograph: Craig Watson\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Glasgow turned the screw in response and referee Adam Jones punished Deeny after his side conceded four penalties in quick succession. The hosts took the lead moments later, with a tap penalty moved into space on the left where Macenzzie Duncan finished. George Horne added the extras.<\/p>\n

Kelleher joined Deeny in the 29th minute for a high challenge on Stafford McDowall and Glasgow\u2019s lineout maul gave Gregor Hiddleston an armchair ride over the tryline. <\/p>\n

Horne\u2019s conversion made it 14-5 and Leinster\u2019s problems only escalated from there as the Warriors\u2019 backline produced a scintillating score that originated in their own 22. <\/p>\n

Debutant Johnny Ventisei took Ioane out of the equation before McDowall perfectly timed his pass to Horne, who went in untouched before delivering a superb conversion.<\/p>\n

Prendergast denied the home side a quickfire fourth five-pointer, intercepting a pass that would have put Horne under the posts, but the try bonus-point soon followed when Kyle Rowe burned O\u2019Brien on the outside, kicked ahead and outsprinted Prendergast to touch down.<\/p>\n

Leinster gave themselves a lifeline on the stroke of half-time, with Keenan \u2013 making his first appearance since the final Lions Test in August \u2013 beating Rowe to score, and Prendergast\u2019s conversion made it 26-12.<\/p>\n

His team needed to score next and they dominated possession after the restart without really hurting the Warriors, who dug in.<\/p>\n

\"GlasgowGlasgow Warriors’ Ollie Smith celebrates scoring a try with team-mates. Photograph: Craig Watson\/Inpho <\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien could have reduced the deficit had he not overcooked a chip and chase attempt on the left wing in the 55th minute. Glasgow consolidated their position, built through the phases and killed the game off 11 minutes from time through Smith after three Leinster players failed to take him down.<\/p>\n

Horne\u2019s conversion followed and while Ciar\u00e1n Frawley scored a 74th-minute consolation, Leinster\u2019s hopes of one more to take home a losing try bonus point evaporated as Horne dived in for his second try and Glasgow\u2019s sixth.<\/p>\n

A melee ensued before the scrumhalf missed his conversion attempt, with Glasgow\u2019s Adam Hastings and Leinster\u2019s Rabah Slimani yellow carded. <\/p>\n

The bad feeling may linger if the sides meet again at the business end of the campaign, even if the personnel involved will change. But Glasgow will take a lot from this victory if they lock horns when the stakes are higher down the line.<\/p>\n

SCORING SEQUENCE \u2013 18 mins: Kenny try, 0-5; 27: Duncan try, Horne con, 7-5; 31: Hiddleston try, 12-5; 34: Horne try, con, 19-5; 37: Rowe try, Horne con, 26-5; 40+2: Keenan try, Prendergast con, 26-12 (half-time: 26-12); 69: Smith try, Horne con, 33-12; 74: Frawley try, 33-17; 78: Horne try, 38-17. <\/p>\n

GLASGOW: J McKay; K Rowe, J Ventisei, S McDowall, O Smith; D Lancaster, G Horne; P Schickerling, G Hiddleston, F Richardson; A Craig, A Samuel; E Ferrie, S Vailanu, M Duncan.<\/p>\n

Replacements: A Fraser for Vailanu, S Talakai for Richardson (both 46 mins); R Sutherland for Schickerling (55); A Hastings for Ventisei (63); J Oliver for Smith, S Stephen for Hiddleston, O Ogumtibeju for Samuel (all 72 mins); A Miller for Ferrie (75).<\/p>\n

Yellow Card: Hastings (78 mins). <\/p>\n

LEINSTER: H Keenan; J Kenny, R Ioane, R Henshaw, J O\u2019Brien; S Prendergast, L McGrath; A Usanov, R Kelleher, T Clarkson; RG Snyman, B Deeny; J Conan, W Connors, J Culhane.<\/p>\n

Replacements: J Cahir for Usanov (7-26 mins & 65), C Frawley for Kenny, C O\u2019Tighearnaigh for Snyman, S Penny for Connors (all 53 mins); M Deegan for Culhane (62); J McKee for Kelleher, R Slimani for Clarkson (all 65 mins); F Gunne for McGrath (67). <\/p>\n

Yellow cards: Deeney (26 mins); Kelleher (29); Slimani (78).<\/p>\n

Referee: A Jones (WRU).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"URC: Glasgow Warriors 38 Leinster 17 A second consecutive URC defeat for Leinster and their fifth of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358550,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,11287,43,12918,40,38,41,39,14881],"class_list":["post-358549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-leinster-rugby","tag-news","tag-sam-prendergast","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-united-rugby-championship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}