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Video - Excruciating botched kick in the 84th minute conjures memories of Hastings

By Josh Raisey
Brandon Thomson (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Owen Farrell’s travails from the kicking tee may have drawn the most attention over the weekend, but the England fly-half may not have produced the miss of the week. That gong unfortunately is awarded to Glasgow Warriors’ Brandon Thomson.

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The fly-half had an 84th minute conversion attempt from in front of the posts with his side trailing by a solitary point against the Dragons at Scotstoun. His skewed kick hit the post, bringing a surprising end to a dramatic few minutes, and condemning his side to a fifth loss in their last six matches.

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For some Glasgow fans, this kick has a striking resemblance to Gavin Hastings’ infamous World Cup semi-final penalty miss against England in 1991.

Both kicks were taken from more or less the same spot, but on that occasion Hastings pushed his attempt to the right, as Scotland fell to a 9-6 loss at Murrayfield.

Following a difficult start to the season for the Warriors, they looked like they were going to get some relief when Johnny Matthews scored a late try after the Warriors had fought back from a deficit. The try brought the scores to 23-22 to the Dragons, meaning that a successful conversion would win it. The Warriors players thought the game was theirs before they were shocked to see the former South Africa under-20 fly-half’s conversion attempt bounce back off the post.

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This was the first time the Dragons have earned successive away wins in eight years, and it meant they leapfrogged the Warriors in the Guinness PRO14 Conference A, despite playing two games fewer. Glasgow now sit in fifth place in their conference, with only Zebre below them.

They travel to south west England this weekend to take on reigning European champions Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup, so it does not get any easier for the Warriors.

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