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Glasgow Warriors escape with narrow but crucial win over Scarlets
On a wet and windy night at Scotstoun, Glasgow Warriors did what they had to do in order to book a home draw in the URC play-off quarter-finals with one game of the regular season to spare, beating Scarlets 12-9.
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It will not go down as a classic but will be a valuable confidence boost ahead of these two teams meeting again in Llanelli in the last four of the EPCR Challenge Cup in two weekends’ time.
Scarlets dominated the opening five minutes and took the lead through a Dan Jones penalty after 24 phases of relentless pressure.
The visitors doubled their tally when Sam Johnson was guilty of a high tackle on Kieran Hardy, and Jones once again kicked the points.
The weather seemed to be disrupting the home team more than their Welsh opponents, although both sides were struggling to play through multiple phases.
Eventually, in the final 10 minutes of the first half, Warriors began to find their feet, with some smart kicking from Ali Price, Tom Jordan and Stafford McDowall putting Scarlets under pressure.
The hosts came close to opening their account when veteran flanker Ryan Wilson – who announced this week that he is leaving the club after 13 years at the end of this season – was held up over the line.
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Then, with just four minutes left in the half, Warriors finally got off the mark when Sione Vailanu carried three tacklers with him as he charged over the line.
Jordan did not manage the tricky conversion from wide on the left, meaning Scarlets took a single-point lead into the break.
Scarlets struck first in the second half, with a scrum penalty handing Jones three more points.
That seemed to be the spark Warriors needed and they finally found their groove.
Some powerful forward play created a sustained buzz in the Scotstoun stands for the first time in the match, and the hosts grabbed the lead with 54 minutes played when Fraser Brown finished off a line-out maul.
Jordan fired home the conversion, and Warriors kept their foot on the gas – but they could not find a way to extend their lead.
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Scarlets nearly delivered a knock-out punch when second-row Vaea Fifita stole possession from the base of a Warriors ruck just inside his own 22 and galloped the length of the pitch to touch down in the corner.
It was an excellent piece of opportunism and athleticism, but referee Andrew Brace referred it to the TMO, who ruled that the Tongan had swooped for the ball from an offside position. Warriors breathed a massive sigh of relief.
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
26 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
26 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
26 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
26 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
26 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
26 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments