Leinster hold off dogged Glasgow in edgy victory
Leinster signed off their regular season campaign in the BKT United Rugby Championship with a sixteenth win from 18 games, although they were made to work by a dogged Glasgow Warriors side at Aviva Stadium.
Leo Cullen's side ground out a 13-5 win against the defending champions and will now face Scarlets in the quarter-final in two weeks time, while they may well cross paths with the Warriors again next month, with the teams on track to face each other in a potential semi-final.
Jimmy O'Brien scored Leinster's only try, with Sam Prendergast adding a penalty in the second half to nudge the province into a 10-0 lead, and although George Horne's brilliant try got Glasgow back within reach in the final quarter, a late penalty from Ciarán Frawley gave the home side a two-score buffer from which they saw the game out.
While Glasgow leave the game without a point and dropped to the fourth seed, it was a tie they will take plenty from, particularly after losing 52-0 to Leinster in the Champions Cup just last month.
Franco Smith's side also welcomed back Sione Tuipulotu from a five-month layoff, and the soon-to-be British and Irish Lion got through 40 minutes of work, impressing in an even first half.
A few minutes after seeing his try disallowed, Jimmy O'Brien gets in for the first score of the game off a lovely first phase move. #LEIvGLA
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— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2025
Glasgow will face the Stormers at Scotstoun in a repeat of their quarter-final from last year, with a 7.35pm kick-off on Friday, 30 May, with Leinster welcoming Scarlets to the Aviva the following afternoon for a 3pm start.
Despite the Scots starting strongly, out-half Adam Hastings flicked a penalty wide off a post before Leinster began to put phases together.
O'Brien had a try ruled out for a Prendergast kick not coming from the penalty mark. However, a questionable knock-on call against Hastings had the Warriors under further pressure.
The Leinster win duly scored in the left corner, released by a deftly-executed loop play between Jordie Barrett and Prendergast. The latter added the conversion from the left touchline.
Glasgow are back in it after a George Horne try, aided by some lovely footwork from Sebastian Cancelliere. #LEIvGLA
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— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2025
After a long-range penalty miss from Prendergast, Tuipulotu threatened when regathering his own chip and kicking ahead again. Jamie Osborne got away with a push to beat him to the ball.
Tuipulotu's removal at half time looked a precautionary move, and Leinster seized control on the restart. Tommy O'Brien was prominent before Prendergast went agonisingly close to touching down out wide.
Leinster's superior scrum set up their fly-half to make it 10-0, only for Glasgow to hit back impressively.
Kyle Rowe's pacy break and kick through had Sebastian Cancelliere cleverly clipping the ball to his left for replacement Horne to half the deficit.
Nonetheless, Leinster managed to disrupt Glasgow's lineout and maintain the upper hand in the scrum. Frawley then turned a late surge downfield into the clinching kick.
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