Bulls lose home URC semi-final hopes after Glasgow down Connacht

For three minutes and 34 seconds, Connacht dared to dream.

The Irish side stormed into an early 7-0 lead against the 2024 United Rugby Championship winners, Glasgow Warriors, inside the first four minutes.

It was a sharp reminder that in the knockout stages of this brutal competition, anything can happen.

In the end, Glasgow Warriors ran out comfortable 33-21 winners, with captain Kyle Steyn named Player of the Match and with that win, ended any chances of the Bulls having a home semi-final should they win against Munster on Saturday.

Although Connacht captain Cian Prendergast scored the game’s first try, Glasgow responded strongly by scoring the next three tries to take control of the match.

What stood out during this period was Glasgow’s impressive discipline and the way their forwards consistently generated momentum through powerful carries.

However, momentum didn’t belong to just one team. After 30 minutes, the score was still tied at 7-7, with both sides probably feeling they had left opportunities out on the field.

Glasgow began to take control in the second half. Kyle Steyn crossed in the 45th minute, followed by tries from Josh McKay and Olujare Oguntibeju. Connacht fought back with tries from Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham to narrow the gap to 28-21 with 10 minutes remaining.

But Steyn sealed the victory with his second try five minutes from time, making the final score 33-21. Although Connacht never gave up, they ultimately couldn’t break Glasgow’s resolve.