Glasgow knock out champions Munster to reach URC final
Glasgow's Sione Tuipulotu tackles Jack Crowley of Munster.
- Published
United Rugby Championship semi-final
Munster: (3) 10
Tries: Frisch Con: Crowley Pen: Crowley
Glasgow Warriors: (7) 17
Tries: Steyn, Cancelliere Cons: Horne (2) Pen: Horne
Glasgow Warriors stunned champions Munster at Thomond Park to secure a place in the United Rugby Championship final for the first time since 2019.
A breakaway try from captain Kyle Steyn gave Warriors a 7-3 half-time lead.
Sebastian Cancelliere's stunning try added to that advantage before Antoine Frisch's score cut the lead back to four points.
Alex Nankivell saw red late on for Munster and George Horne's penalty sealed Glasgow's victory.
Warriors will meet the Bulls in Pretoria in the final on Saturday, 22 June after the South African side's hard-fought 25-20 victory over Leinster.
On the back of a 10-match winning run, Munster started fast, dominating the first scrum and then forcing a penalty that Jack Crowley pulled wide of the posts.
Glasgow then took advantage of a loose line-out from the hosts and Sione Tuipulotu battered through a tackle to threaten the line but was penalised for holding on.
Warriors found themselves on the wrong side of referee Andrea Piardi, conceding six penalties in a little over 10 minutes, and Richie Gray was sent to the sin-bin for persistent offences. Crowley knocked over a simple penalty to get the men in red on the board.
The reigning champions were well on top but unable to make their superiority count and, on 24 minutes, they were hit with a sucker-punch.
A mix-up in the Munster midfield, the ball went to deck and Steyn was first to react to gather and sprint away to score under the posts.
Simon Zebo looked to hit back for the Irish side but was bundled into touch by Huw Jones as he bore down on the try-line.
Warriors would keep their four-point lead intact until the break, but not before losing Matt Fagerson to a yellow card for a high tackle on Peter O’Mahony.
The 14 men started the second half on the front foot and passed up two kickable penalties to go to the corner, only to be repelled on each occasion by the Munster defence.
When Glasgow were given another penalty within range, Horne pulled his effort wide.
Then came a moment of pure quality. Tom Jordan fielded a 22 restart deep in his own territory, ran it back and linked up with Rory Darge. He found Jones, who scorched earth through the Munster midfield and fed Cancelliere, who evaded the cover defence to touch down.
Horne made his adjustments and banged over a superb conversion to give Glasgow a 14-3 lead.
Darge was required on the other side of the ball when a brilliant turnover near his own line foiled Munster momentum that looked certain to lead to a try.
The home side did not have long to wait, however. Horne's charged-down box-kick handed possession to Munster and, after a few phases, prop Jeremy Loughman burst free and eventually the ball was worked wide to Frisch to score.
Glasgow again did well to weather the storm and Munster finished the game with 14 men after Nankivell's reckless clearout made contact with Horne's head.
The scrum-half got up to nudge over the penalty to stretch his side's lead to seven.
Munster could not conjure a late rescue act and it will be Glasgow who travel to South Africa for the final, aiming for a first title in nine years.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Simon Zebo; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Oli Jager, RG Snyman, Gavin Coombes, Conor Murray, Seán O’Brien, Alex Kendellen.
Glasgow Warriors: Jamie Bhatti, Johnny Matthews, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Richie Gray, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Steyn (capt), Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Sebastian Cancelliere, Josh McKay.
Replacements: George Turner, Oli Kebble, Murphy Walker, Max Williamson, Euan Ferrie, Henco Venter, Jamie Dobie, Ross Thompson.