'Proud' Franco Smith lauds Glasgow Warriors trait that earned opening round URC win away to Munster

It was a match that the visitors grew into and looked by far the fitter and more determined outfit towards the latter stages. In the end they left Thomond Park with all five points while Jamie Dobie marked his 100th appearance for the club with two tries.

“I always knew we would be rusty because these guys have not played a pre-season game,” said Smith. “This is a start of the season game so I always knew that some of the connection skills will go wrong.

“I’m really proud of that maturity” - Franco Smith delighted as Glasgow Warriors leave Munster with a bonus point win

“But the fact that we stayed on task was the main thing I'm going to take away from it. The thing I’m proud of is that the boys stuck to task and didn’t panic, I’m really proud of that maturity.”

On new Warriors centurion Dobie, the South African added: “He's been a stalwart for us. It's incredible to lean on him in any position that he plays.”

Munster had by far the better start to the game which began with JJ Hanrahan kicking an early three points before Ollie Smith was yellow carded for Glasgow as he deliberately knocked the ball on during a promising attack. Referee Morné Ferreira checked the TMO for a penalty try but quickly ruled there was enough cover defence.

The hosts made their early pressure and man advantage pay as Ben O’Connor scored in the corner after a tidy passing move from the back of a scrum. Hanrahan kicked the conversion to make it 10-0.

Both sides were suffering from ill discipline and Warriors saw some promising attacking play halted by handling errors and penalties but did eventually get reward for their efforts as Dobie snatched the ball off the back of a maul and darted over the line from close range. Dan Lancaster kicked the conversion for 10-7.

The heat went up a level after Munster won another scrum penalty and Matt Fagerson was judged to have instigated a scuffle which saw Glasgow pushed back 10 metres. That made it easy for Hanrahan to put the ball in the corner and Munster scored a few phases after the maul with Michael Milne crossing from close range before Hanrahan kicked the conversion for 17-7.

Glasgow lost the ball in a driving maul to end the first half and started the second by knocking on during a promising attack with Munster then winning a penalty from the scrum. That was followed by the moment where the momentum really shifted to the visitors though as Smith changed his entire front row on 45 minutes.

Replacement hooker Seb Stephen had a moment of class to carry the ball to within inches of the line, dancing through the home defence, but Warriors made hard work of the phases after that. It was more relief than joy when fellow substitute Nathan McBeth eventually managed to cross the line for their second try and George Horne’s conversion brought them to within three points.

Glasgow then had a period of defence in their own 22 for the first time in a while and it resulted in a Munster penalty which Hanrahan kicked over to make it 20-14. However, the front row changes were paying dividends as Warriors started to dominate the scrum with Sam Talakai’s introduction proving crucial to that match-up.

Warriors finally managed to break the Munster defensive line with a backs move on 67 minutes when Lancaster sent a perfectly weighted pass out wide to Dobie who accelerated to full speed in the blink of an eye and was stopped just short before Horne picked up and crossed. The scrum-half then notched an important conversion from a difficult position which crucially put the visitors in front.

Glasgow then had a very kickable penalty on 73 minutes but opted for the corner and to chase the bonus point rather than the safer, arguably more sensible option, of taking the three points to put the game beyond a penalty for the hosts. It proved to be the right call as the forwards did all the hard work, pick and go after pick and go, before it was eventually sent wide for Dobie to dot down easily in the corner for a second try that secured maximum points for his team in Round One.

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