Following a 33-21 victory for Glasgow Warriors over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final, here’s our five takeaways from Scotstoun.
The top line
The top seeds are through to the semi-finals of the competition after seeing off an ever-improving Connacht outfit that had headed into this fixture as the URC‘s form team.
Tries from Patrick Schickerling, Kyle Steyn (2), Josh McKay and Olujare Oguntibeju were added to by four conversions from George Horne as the hosts proved too strong.
A dominant scrum laid the platform while moments of quality out wide also contributed to Glasgow booking a last-four game at Murrayfield, while Connacht sadly bowed out.
A word on the Irish province, though, who came into this match in dazzling form and are definitely on the right track under Stuart Lancaster. Connacht scored through Cian Prendergast, David Heffernan and Finlay Bealham as they never gave up the fight at Scotstoun Stadium, and it took Glasgow putting in an 80-minute performance to see them off.
Knockout classic
From minute one, this URC tie delivered for those watching in the stands and at home. It was knockout action at its best with all that win-or-bust jeopardy topped up with some wonderful attack-minded rugby that, while not transferring to a mountain of points on the scoreboard, still kept supporters glued to the quarter-final action all night long.
Connacht just would not go away as they hit back several times, and one wonders how things might have panned out had injuries not hit key men before (Sean Jansen) and during (Josh Ioane and Bealham) the game. It might have been first against eighth on the table, but there was little to separate the teams as both chanced their arm time and again.
Steyn moments
It was on the half-hour mark that Glasgow Warriors captain Steyn saved his team by denying Connacht fly-half Ioane what appeared to be a nailed-on crossing on the breakaway.
Glasgow had been knocking on the door on the edge of the visitors’ 22 before a stray pass was gobbled up by the electric New Zealander who had open field in front of him. The pace of the former Highlanders and Chiefs playmaker, which had been a feature of the game prior to that, suggested that he would not be caught. But Steyn had other ideas.
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The Scotland wing showed amazing speed to eat up the ground on Ioane and eventually caught him 25 metres from Glasgow’s try-line in a key play with the score at 7-7.
Four minutes into the second period came another crucial act from Steyn as he first nailed a 50-22 and then crashed through for a score at the resulting passage for 14-7.
He wasn’t done there and would ice his evening with a run-in late in the fixture, collecting a lovely Dan Lancaster pass to put the seal on his Player of the Match showing.
Ioane statement
There might be a certain Ciaran Frawley arriving next season, but on tonight’s performance by Ioane, he is going to have his work cut out wrestling the 10 shirt off him.
It was a breathtaking performance from the fly-half as he caused Glasgow countless issues, especially in the opening half, with his ability to step and unlock the defence.
Unfortunately, his night was cut short midway through the second period when he failed a HIA, but there was so much to like about how he tested Glasgow in possession whilst showing a maturity in his decision making. Make no mistake, it’s a significant win for Lancaster that he will have both Ioane and Frawley as fly-half options next season.
What next?
Glasgow will be in front of their screens tomorrow as the Bulls and Munster face off at Loftus Versfeld, with the winner flying to Murrayfield for next weekend’s semi-final.
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The Warriors will, of course, head into that mouth-watering meeting as favourites due to their superior finish on the final table, and also the travel factor for their opponent.
For Connacht, it’s all she wrote in terms of 2025/26, as a remarkable turnaround in form during the second half of the season helps mask the disappointment of bowing out.
Lancaster will have been encouraged by their showings at the close of the campaign and the depth they are building, which makes them an interesting watch going forward.
READ MORE: United Rugby Championship quarter-finals: Predictions, teams, kick-off times, TV and more
