Munster ground down by Glasgow for opening day defeat
Munster suffered a 26-20 defeat against Glasgow Warriors in their opening match of the United Rugby Championship season. Despite an early lead, Munster was worn down by the Scottish side in the final quarter.
Why it matters
Highlights the competitive nature of professional rugby and the performance of Irish provinces in international club tournaments.
Munster gave up a 10-point half-time lead at Thomond Park, as their BKT United Rugby Championship season started with a disappointing 26-20 defeat to Glasgow Warriors.
The six-point loss brought up a sweep of defeats for the four Irish provinces, the first time that has happened on the opening weekend since 2009/10.
The Scottish side ground Munster down in the final quarter, as Clayton McMillan's strength in depth was exposed.
In particular, the province suffered at the scrum after the departure of new signing Kieran Brookes, who had dominated the Warriors pack on his competitive debut.
Ben O'Donovan also shined for the province at scrum-half, and they were good value for their 20-14 lead when the New Zealand-born player left the game on 58 minutes, after tries for Ben O'Connor and Michael Milne, with 10 points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan.
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