Huwipulotu

What a result

A brilliant win to kick off the season! Glasgow fought back excellently after a slow first half to beat a very competent Munster side. I wasn’t entirely sure how Munster were going to play, considering the number of players they were missing. But in the first half, they were the team playing the more expansive attacking rugby with slick passing and movement. Glasgow struggled to penetrate at times, with poor execution on the pull-back passes we use so much.

The set piece was a struggle at times in the first half, with Munster dominating at scrum time, and the lineouts were a struggle in the strong wind. But the Glasgow maul, as per usual, looked really strong. There have been more changes to the maul laws in the off-season. These changes may benefit Glasgow massively. Players are no longer able to swim around the side of it and loiter at the back of the maul. This makes it far cleaner and easier for the attacking team to keep momentum and present the ball back to the scrum half.

Almost spot on with my prediction

In my preview, I predicted a 24-33 win to Glasgow, with Glasgow scoring a late try to push it out. I was pretty close; it turns out it was two late tries and a margin of 6 instead of 9. I said that the bench would make the difference, especially at scrum time. Which is exactly what happened. The introduction of the bench front row in the 46th minute helped stabilise the game for Glasgow. It ended Munster’s scrum dominance, stopping Glasgow from leaking penalties and territory. McBeth in particular had an almost immediate impact, scoring from a pick and go in the 53rd minute. Then Duncan and Cummings off the bench helped improve Glasgow’s carrying and physicality, leading to Glasgow’s two late tries.

Trust in Franco

Once again, it seems Franco went into that game with the plan to win it in the second half. He, of course, would not have liked to be 7-17 down at half time. But it’s clear that he packed the bench full of players who would make a big impact in that second half. Gregor Hiddleston had a strong game, winning a turnover in his 46 minutes on the pitch. But Seb Stephen brought intensity and pace off the bench. His run just before the McBeth try was superb, peeling off the back of the maul at the 22 and beating 3 defenders before carrying another 3 with him and finally being brought down just inches from the try line. Cummings was physical and accurate as always, and Duncan brought energy and physicality in the carry that Ally Miller had lacked. Miller had a decent game, popping up nicely as a winger at times, but he was less impactful than I would have liked.

Kuenzle slotted in brilliantly on debut. Coming on when Glasgow were still losing 20-14, he came on at centre (I think at 12), with Rowe coming off and Smith moving to the back 3. His handling was slick, and he’s clearly learnt the attacking shapes. He was at first receiver for the final two tries and has made a good impression.

Top performers

• Jamie Dobie – Dobie was in inspired form on his 100th game for the club. He had one big error when a sliced kick led to Munster getting the ball in Glasgow’s half and Ollie Smith getting a yellow in the chaotic scramble that ensued. But the winger scored the first and last try and looked dangerous every time he had the ball in hand. He made the most breaks in the game of any player, with 3.
• Rory Darge – Darge played as if there hadn’t been an offseason. RugbyPass lists him as having made 1 turnover, but it was for sure more than that. He made 8 carries and 12 post-contact meters, as well as 12 tackles. A hard-working display that stalled lots of Munster momentum.
• McBeth -A strong showing off the bench, as I mentioned earlier. McBeth scored a try, made 6 carries and 6 tackles, with one dominant tackle in his 35 minutes on the pitch. The picture in the scrum completely changed after the introduction of him and Talakai. With Bhatti now gone, it’s crucial he stays fit for the big games.

Looking Ahead

It’s Ulster at Scotstoun this Saturday. With Edinburgh winning away on Friday, Ulster will be hurting and looking to fix things. But based on the two performances, Glasgow should be confident of a good result going into this game. My full preview should be out by Friday, hopefully.