Glasgow extend winning run
MATCH REPORT: Glasgow Warriors overcame the rain and some determined opposition to pick up a hard-fought 13-3 victory over Benetton which lifts them to second in the United Rugby Championship table.
They will drop back down to third if Ulster get a result at the Dragons on Sunday, but Danny Wilson’s side have now won five URC matches on the bounce – the last three without their front-line internationals.
The first half was a cagey affair. An early exchange of penalties between Glasgow’s Domingo Miotti and Tomas Albornoz of Benetton made it 3-3 with just six minutes played.
Home winger Rufus McLean thought he had claimed the first try of the match when he hacked a loose ball into the in-goal area and then outstripped Benetton’s cover defence.
But referee Frank Murphy viewed the video replay and decided that the ball had not been properly grounded.
Warriors kept their foot on the gas, and fullback Ollie Smith showed McLean – his flatmate – how to finish off a try a few minutes later, showing impressive strength to shrug off three tackles on his way to the line. Miotti could not manage the conversion.
Smith threatened again for the hosts when he broke from deep, but he was tackled before he managed to release the support runners on both his left and right, so the chance was lost.
Benetton dominated possession and territory during the final 10 minutes of the first half without really putting the Warriors under real pressure.
The closest they got to scoring during that period was an audacious drop-goal attempt from halfway by winger Rhyno Smith which floated to the left of the posts.
Warriors claimed their second try of the match when Jack Dempsey muscled over just before the hour mark, five minutes after an excellent kick into the corner by replacement stand-off Ross Thompson had put the home side on the front foot.
With rain teeming down conditions were tough, and both teams struggled to assert themselves in an attacking sense.
Warriors had more control and enjoyed another lengthy spell in their opponents’ 22, but they could not make it count any further on the scoreboard.
Player of the match
Smith admits that he wasn’t quite ready when given his first chance in the Warriors team last season, and that it was hard watching several of his contemporaries grab their chance.
But the 21-year-old redoubled his efforts in training and has been excellent since an injury to Josh McKay opened the door for a run in the team three weeks ago.
Play of the match
On a night short of magical moments, Glasgow full-back Smith lit the place up twice during the first half, with the strength and agility he showed to find his way past a forest of green jerseys for his team's opening try a real highlight.
The scorers:
For Glasgow Warriors
Tries: Smith, Dempsey
Pen: Miotti
For Benetton
Pen: Albornoz
Teams
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Walter Fifita, 13 Kyle Steyn, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Rufus McLean, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Thomas Gordon, 6 Ryan Wilson (co-captain), 5 Richie Gray, 4 Kiran McDonald, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Fraser Brown (co-captain), 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Lewis Bean, 20 Ally Miller, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Ross Thompson, 23 Stafford McDowall.
Benetton: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Lorenzo Pani, 13 Joaquin Riera, 12 Filippo Drago, 11 Rhyno Smith, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Yaree Fantini, 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Carl Wegner, 4 Irnè Herbst (captain), 3 Nahuel Tetaz, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Matteo Drudi, 18 Filippo Alongi, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Matteo Meggiato, 21 Alessandro Izekor, 22 Luca Petrozzi, 23 Ratuva Tavuyara.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Keith Allen (Scotland), Dunx McClement (Scotland)
TMO: Ben Blain (Scotland)