GLASGOW STRIKE RICH WITH BONUS-POINT WIN 

Glasgow Warriors had to dig deep into their personal and collective qualities tonight. But it was worth the effort. They mined a rich lode with a bonus-point victory against Llanelli Scarlets at Hughenden. First, though, they had to mine through an uninspiring seam. Their first half glittered, but it was not gold. They were down 3-14 after just 20 minutes, and it seemed that it was not to be their night. But Hefin O’Hare’s try just before the interval glinted hope for better to come. Sure enough the second half produced three more tries and only the second four-try bonus in Warriors’ league season.

By the end, Warriors were rampant. Their drilling for more was accelerating, and afterwards Sean Lineen, Glasgow’s head coach, was enthusiastic in his praise. “It was the best of the season,� he remarked. “It was really satisfying against a good team.� That was no token compliment to their visitors. The Scarlets, after all, in the Heineken Cup’s last eight. Most worthy of the coach’s praise were replacements, notably Stevie Swindall and Sam Pinder. Swindall scored two of the second-half tries and made his presence felt throughout his hour on the field. Pinder was more of an impact replacement for half an hour on the field, most effective in the lead-up to Swindall’s first try. Another replacement, Kevin Tkachuk, scored the fourth try that earned the bonus point in the last play of the game. Glasgow victory was the ninth in their past 10 Hughenden matches.

In Magners League terms it allowed Warriors to leapfrog Scarlets and Dragons from eighth to sixth place. The coach’s comments, however, were tempered by his look back at the first half-hour. “We were trying to push it too hard,� he observed. The ideas and the will were there, but they did not gel, with the result that the Glasgow game was strewn with errors. Two penalty goals by Ceiron Thomas bracketed one by Dan Parks in the first quarter of an hour, and it seemed ominous for Glasgow when Llanelli’s 6-3 lead was immediately extended by a Dafydd Jones try, the No.8 following up a Regan King break. Thomas missed the conversion, but he soon added a third penalty goal. No one could have expected that that would have been the end of the Llanelli scoring. But here was where the Warriors proved themselves by pulling their game together, and even when all did not appear to be going well Glasgow hung on to the lifeline that was their lineout security. They did not lose any of their own throws, and as Lineen noted, they won four of the Llanelli lineouts. Alastair Kellock was an influential character in that airt. Injuries to Jon Petrie and Evans allowed Swindall and Colin Gregor to join the fray.

Gregor went to full back, with Rory Lamont on the left wing, where his aggressive running was to be influential on Glasgow’s fightback, not least in the lead-up to the first try. A break by Graeme Beveridge deserved better than being turned over. The advantage that was being played from a penalty was cut far too soon. But a longer break by Lamont looked like being more profitable when he chipped ahead for O’Hare. Dafydd James sprinted across to save Llanelli, but O’Hare was not to be denied as he squeezed in at the left corner late in the first half after Rory Lamont’s aggressive running, which was to become a feature of his game. The try was too wide for Parks to convert, but Glasgow at least were just six points adrift at half-time, much better than could have been expected 20 minutes earlier. Seven minutes into the second half Pinder took over from Beveridge, and the replacement scrum half’s immediate action was to sprint almost to the goal-line from a lineout. There Pinder, again sharp-witted, tapped a penalty, and though he was denied again it cost Llanelli a yellow card for James Bater. Immediately, Pinder and a host of others hammered the Llanelli line before the ball was swung wide to the left for Swindall to dive in at the corner. Parks converted from the touchline, and after 50 minutes Glasgow were ahead for the first time. Pinder was much involved again in the lead-up to Swindall’s second try after 62 minutes. Parks missed the conversion, but he added a penalty goal nine minutes later, and immediately after that he was wide with a close-range drop-goal shot. If that had gone over Glasgow would have had a 12-point cushion for the last 10 minutes. But they did not need it. Instead, they finished off with such a furious assault that the visitors’ line had to be breached, as it was by the replacement prop. The Parks conversion was the last play of the contest.

Glasgow Warriors – Rory Lamont; Hefin O’Hare, Graeme Morrison, Andrew Henderson, Thom Evans; Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge; Justin Va’a, Fergus Thomson, Moray Low, Andy Newman, Alastair Kellock (captain), Jon Petrie, John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie. Substitutes – Stevie Swindall for Petrie (22 minutes), Colin Gregor for Evans (28), Sam Pinder for Beveridge (47), Dan Turner for Newman (54), Kevin Tkachuk for Va’a (56), Scott Barrow for Pinder (76). Not used – Eric Milligan. Tries, Swindall (2), O’Hare, Tkachuk; conversions, Parks (2); penalty goals, Parks (2).

Llanelli Scarlets – Barry Davies; Dafydd James, Regan King, Matthew Watkins, Darren Daniel; Ceiron Thomas, Liam Davies; Iestyn Thomas, Aled Gravelle, Craig Dunlea, Adam Jones, Scott MacLeod, 'Inoke Afeaki, James Bater (captain), Dafydd Jones. Substitutes – Deacon Manu for Dunlea (36), Nathan Thomas for Afeaki (52), Matthew Rees for Gravelle (52), Morgan Stoddart for Dafydd James (60), Gavin Evans for Watkins (60), Clive Stuart-Smith for Davies (76). Try, Dafydd Jones; penalty goals, Ceiron Thomas (3). Referee – Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland). Man of the match – John Barclay. Attendance – 1825.