mens
united-rugby-championship
Glasgow’s prospects of finishing second in the United Rugby Championship suffered a setback as they were beaten 26-19 at home by the Bulls.
This was a rematch of last season’s grand final won by Glasgow, but the Pretoria side gained their revenge thanks to two second-half tries from Johann Grobbelaar and David Kriel and an impeccable kicking display by fly-half Johan Goosen.
Warriors rallied late on and tries from Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall, adding to Jamie Dobie’s first-half score, earned them a losing bonus point which keeps them one point ahead of the Bulls with two matches of the regular season left to play.
Glasgow came close to landing the opening try of the match within seven minutes, only to be denied by some stellar Bulls defence.
McDowall clipped a loose ball up into his own hands before feeding Sebastian Cancelliere on his inside.
Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Glasgow
Bulls
The Argentinian, though, was stopped on the line and the ball held up by back-tracking Bulls prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
The stop-start nature of the contest seemed to suit the Bulls better and, when Glasgow were pinged for going offside, Goosen’s penalty gave the visitors the lead.
The fly-half then landed an even longer kick from inside his own half after Glasgow’s McDowall was penalised for going off his feet.
The Bulls were reduced temporarily to 14 players midway through the first half when Wilco Louw went in high on fellow tighthead Patrick Schickerling and was shown a yellow card.
Glasgow, usually so dominant at home, were getting little change out of the visiting defence, but did finally get on the scoreboard after 35 minutes.
McDowall’s pass wide to Dobie looked forward, but the ball was adjudged to have brushed the fingers of Bulls winger Canan Moodie and the try stood.
George Horne’s conversion gave Glasgow the lead, but it was a short-lived one as the dead-eyed Goosen made another long-range penalty to earn the Bulls a narrow half-time advantage.
They stretched their lead early in the second period with their first try of the match. Their lineout maul looked to have lost momentum, but a breakaway group formed to drive Grobbelaar over for a try converted by Goosen, who added another penalty soon after to give the Bulls a two-score lead.
The South Africans then claimed a second try after Tom Jordan’s crossfield kick was claimed by Sebastian de Klerk.
The winger’s return kick up the pitch was not dealt with by Jordan, allowing De Klerk to pass to Kriel to score. Goosen again converted.
Glasgow looked well beaten but dug deep to score twice late on, with Steyn running free in the right corner and then McDowall crossing after good work by Ollie Smith.
