United Rugby Championship: Leinster thrash hapless Glasgow Warriors to reach semi-finals

David Skippers

Leinster made a statement of intent as they produced a fine showing to beat Glasgow Warriors 76-14 in their United Rugby Championship quarter-final the RDS Arena in Dublin on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a one-sided affair and Leinster outscored their hosts by 12 tries to two with Dan Sheehan and Jordan Larmour leading the way with two five-pointers each.

Their other tries were scored by Joe McCarthy, Caelan Doris, Michael Alaalatoa, Jamison Gibson-Park, Garry Ringrose, Ciaran Frawley, Luke McGrath and Jimmy O’Brien while Ross Byrne added 12 points courtesy of six conversions and his brother, Harry, also converted two tries.

For Glasgow Warriors, Zander Fagerson and George Horne crossed the whitewash and Ross Thompson added the extras on both occasions.

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Richie Gray’s sin-binning was punished with three tries, including McCarthy’s first for Leinster, as the Irish Shield winners galloped into a 26-7 half-time lead.

Sheehan bagged his brace during the opening period and the electric Larmour also crossed as Glasgow’s initial seven-point advantage – thanks to Fagerson’s fourth-minute effort – was ominously washed away.

Leinster’s 12 tries is a new URC record their points haul of 76 was also the highest for a single match in the competition’s history under its various guises, edging the 75 the Ospreys put past Benetton in Swansea in 2014.

The Warriors’ only consolation was replacement Horne’s converted score on the hour mark. Leinster march on to host the Bulls in next week’s semi-finals.

James Ryan coughed up a couple of early penalties, Glasgow turning down a simple place-kick before prop Fagerson powered over from close range with Thompson converting.

However, the hosts immediately profited from Gray’s yellow – his right arm caught Gibson-Park’s face at a ruck – and the resulting line-out drive saw Sheehan score.

Fly-half Ross Byrne converted and also added the extras to Larmour’s 16th-minute effort, the winger released for the line after Gibson-Park had regained possession from a batted-down pass.

Young lock McCarthy picked from a ruck to extend Leinster’s lead, the TMO review ruling out a knock-on. Byrne slotted the extras to make it 21-7.

Sam Johnson reignited the Glasgow attack with a rampaging run before Gregor Brown was denied a try when Larmour ripped the ball away.

A late attack delivered Sheehan’s second try, and Leinster needed just under three minutes of the second half to work Doris over for their fifth, converted by Byrne.

Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith went to the bin for a deliberate knock-on, with Ala’alatoa then burrowing over for Byrne to convert.

Larmour was twice released out wide, setting up back-to-back tries for Gibson-Park and Ringrose as the Blues passed the half-century mark.

Kiran McDonald offloaded for Horne to grab Glasgow’s second seven-pointer, but sharp hands from Robbie Henshaw and O’Brien made it a deserved double for Larmour.

Frawley, with an interception, and replacement McGrath rubbed salt into Glasgow wounds before O’Brien wrapped up a record-breaking day for the URC title favourites. Replacement Harry Byrne tagged on two conversions.

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