TADHG BEIRNE DID his best to drag Munster into another URC final, his array of turnovers, lineouts steals, and handling skill keeping the province in the battle at times, but it wasn’t to be. Glasgow will visit the Bulls in Pretoria next weekend after in their semi-final against the Warriors concluded a miserable day for Irish rugby that also saw Leinster beaten at Loftus Versfeld. Like their provincial rivals, Munster can have no complaints about the result.
They were second best against a ferocious, accurate, and organised Glasgow team. Franco Smith’s men had to deal with two yellow cards and still won. It goes down as a big missed chance for Munster to repeat last season’s URC success.
A win in this semi-final would have ensured a final at Thomond Park against the Bulls but having earned home advantage for the play-offs, Munster couldn’t make it count. To their credit, a crowd of just over 20,000 fans made plenty of noise during this fierce contest but they were hushed by the end as Glasgow earned an impressive semi-final victory and a place in the decider for the first time since losing to Leinster in 2019. Adding to the misery was the sight of popular centre Alex Nankivell being sent off with five minutes left, the only decision referee Andrea Piardi could make with a case of clear head contact.
Glasgow defended brilliantly in this game, limiting a dangerous Munster attack to just one memorable passage of incisive play. That resulted in Antoine Frisch’s second-.
