Guinness PRO14 Friday wrap: Leinster and Glasgow win; Ulster salvage Benetton draw
Friday 25 January 2019 22:17, UK
Recap all of the PRO14 action from Friday, as Leinster and Glasgow beat Scarlets and Ospreys respectively, while Ulster and Benetton drew at the death.
Leinster 22-17 Scarlets
Tries from James Lowe and Barry Daly in the final quarter steered runaway Conference B leaders Leinster to a 22-17 victory over the Scarlets at the RDS.
Rob Kearney and Jack McGrath got some valuable game-time ahead of Ireland's Six Nations opener against England as Leinster established a 10-0 half-time lead.
Centre Rory O'Loughlin's try in the final play supplemented Ciaran Frawley's 30th-minute penalty.
Turning into a swirling wind, Scarlets left points behind them before Kieran Hardy's converted score closed the gap to three points and then Dan Jones booted them level on the hour mark.
Those well-taken scores from wingers Lowe (68 minutes) and Daly (71) put Leinster back in control until Hardy completed his brace, setting up a nervy but scoreless final seven minutes.
Ulster 17-17 Benetton
Ulster and Benetton Treviso played out a 17-17 draw after an 80th-minute penalty try awarded to the Irish side by referee Nigel Owens.
Both sides took two points from the game, though Ulster needed the win to bolster their faltering PRO14 campaign after making this season's European Champions Cup quarter-finals.
The home side, who trailed 10-5 at the break, scored an early try through Louis Ludik before Rob Herring was mauled over in the second half to tie the scores 10-10.
A last-ditch driving maul was, in Owens' opinion, illegally impeded as it made its way over the Benetton line in the last minute.
Benetton scored tries in either half through lock Federico Ruzza and winger Ratuva Tavuyara, with Ian McKinley kicking two conversions and a first-half penalty. The two points put them second in Conference B, though the Italians ought to have taken all four points.
Glasgow 9-3 Ospreys
Brandon Thomson's second-half hat-trick of penalties earned Glasgow a 9-3 victory over Ospreys at a wet and windy Scotstoun Stadium.
The visitors had led at half-time through Sam Davies' 32nd-minute penalty but he also missed two other opportunities in the first half and was left to rue them as Glasgow claimed a hard-fought win.
The four points see the Warriors leapfrog Munster at the top of Conference A, although the Irish province can reclaim first place when they take on Dragons on Saturday.
