Glasgow Warriors reignite top three hopes with dramatic win over Ospreys

Glasgow are still in the hunt for a top-three place in Pro14 Conference A after a dramatic 30-25 victory over Ospreys at Scotstoun. The Welsh side are still favourites to hold on to third and thus qualify for next season’s Champions Cup, but the Warriors have at least kept their hopes alive.

Glasgow's Lee Jones scores a second half try in the win over Ospreys at Scotstoun. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS

Ospreys took the lead in the fourth minute with an unconverted try by Morgan Morris after Rob Harley had given away a penalty. An awkward start then became significantly worse for the home side when the Ospreys were controversially awarded a penalty try after Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith was ruled to have deliberately knocked on deep in his own half and stopped a probable try. Smith was sinbinned into the bargain.

That made it 12-0 to the visitors, and Glasgow needed to get a foothold in the game quickly. They did it, too, with a straightforward Ross Thompson penalty, but midway through the half a no-arms tackle from Aki Seiuli allowed Luke Price to restore his team’s 12-point lead from in front of the posts.

Thompson was on target with a longer-range penalty after half an hour, then made it three out of three with the boot a few minutes later. That made it 9-15 and put a far brighter complexion on the match from a Glasgow point of view as the half-time whistle blew.

The Ospreys upped the tempo at the start of the second half in a bid to regain control, and when full-back Dan Evans burst into the Warriors 22 a try was on the cards. But a tackle from Smith dislodged the ball, and Lee Jones scooped it up and ran almost the length of the pitch to touch down between the posts. Thompson converted, and Glasgow were ahead for the first time in the match at 16-15.

Ospreys were far from finished, though, and when Smith was forced to touch down behind his own line, the visitors had a scrum five. A clean feed saw them drive at the line four times, and in the end No 8 Gareth Evans was credited with the try, which Price converted.

With Jamie Dobie on at scrum-half, Glasgow’s attack became slicker and quicker, and a brilliant kick ahead by Thompson was collected by Rufus McLean for a score in the right corner. The stand-off added the two points to the winger’s score, and Glasgow were ahead again at 23-22.

A long-range Price penalty went wide as Ospreys tried to hit back, but the Warriors then went further ahead when Seiuli scored off the back of a lineout. Thompson’s conversion made it 30-22.

With ten minutes left TJ Ioane was sent to the bin for a professional foul, and Price scored from the penalty to reduce the gap to five. But Glasgow had just enough left in the tank to hold on.

Scorers: Glasgow: Tries: Jones, McLean, Seiuli. Cons: Thompson 3. Pens: Thompson 3.

Ospreys: Tries: Morris, penalty try, G Evans. Con: Price. Pens: Price 2.

Yellow cards: Glasgow: Smith 13, Ioane 70.

Referee: S Grove-White (Scotland).