Leinster book Celtic Cup semi final spot
Leinster 33 Glasgow 24
Glasgow almost caused an upset at Lansdowne Road as Leinster’s Celtic Cup credentials came under severe second-half pressure from the Scots.
It took the elusive running of Lions duo Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy to send the province into a probable semi-final clash with Munster as both centres bagged closing quarter tries to clinch it.
D’Arcy was also on target in the first half as Leinster ran up a 21-3 lead by the 35th minute.
Glasgow’s reply was measured to say the least as Dan Parks chopped over his second and third penalties in injury time.
But Hugh Campbell’s side rampaged right back into it on the restart as Paul Dearlove and Sean Lamont – charging through on an 80-metre run – helped Glasgow level things up.
The visitors even went 24-21 ahead as Scotland international Parks kicked his fourth penalty, yet O’Driscoll and D’Arcy were on hand to wrestle back the initiative.
After Parks had sent a sixth-minute penalty to the right, Leinster burst through for the opening try as an O’Driscoll and D’Arcy set-up saw Girvan Dempsey cross in the left corner.
David Holwell converted and sandwiched a Parks penalty with the convert of retiring number eight Victor Costello’s 17th-minute lunge over.
A long Holwell skip pass sent D’Arcy jinking through the Glasgow cover for his first score five minutes before the break.
Nonetheless, poor discipline from the home side saw Parks give Glasgow a window back into it as he chipped over two late penalties for a 21-9 deficit at the break.
With three more Lions – namely Malcolm O’Kelly, Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie - thundering out for the second half, Leinster seemed certain to wrap things up.
Two minutes in though, number eight Dearlove ended a neat Glasgow move with a try in the left corner.
As the pace quickened, Leinster set up field position and a galloping surge from O’Kelly almost saw him stretch over.
From the next phase, Glasgow scrum-half Sam Pinder caught the home side napping as he sent 51-cap wing Lamont scurrying over – with Horgan in hot pursuit – and in under the Leinster posts.
O’Driscoll’s first cup try – set up by Des Dillon – on 64 minutes and D’Arcy’s muscular shunt under the posts six minutes later ended the Glasgow fight.
Earlier Llanellie beat Gwent Dragons 49-19.
