Embattled Kings still winless on their new Pro14 adventure

Scotland’s Glasgow Warriors inflicted a seventh successive Pro14 on the hapless Southern Kings with a 43-13 win on Friday night.

While the final score shows a convincing Warriors win, this was a tight game for much of the first half until a three-minute blitz from the home side swung the momentum their way.

Two converted tries in quick succession helped Dave Rennie’s team take control of the game, and Zander Fagerson added a fourth just before the hour to wrap up the bonus point.

That keeps the Warriors in control of Conference A, and was the perfect response to successive losses to Exeter Chiefs and Leinster in Europe.

The Warriors made a dream start when Stuart Hogg crossed after just a minute, the Scotland full-back picking up from where he left off a week ago against Leinster.

He finished off a brilliant score, made by Sam Johnson’s break through the middle.

At that point it looked as if the Warriors were going to cruise to a seventh straight victory, but the Kings fought back well and took the lead thanks to two Coyi Banda penalties, with the visitors showing their strength in the set-piece.

Glasgow needed a response, and they finally got one just after the half-hour with two tries in the space of three minutes.

The first came after a scrum in midfield with Nick Grigg sent on a powerful run.

While he was stopped, a couple of rucks later Niko Matawalu showed his athleticism to leap over the ruck and dot down.

Adam Hastings converted, and was at it again three minutes later following Grigg’s score.

That try came after a chargedown deep in Kings territory.

The Warriors kept pressing and eventually man of the match George Horne’s wide pass put Grigg over.

That made it 19-6 at the break, with Glasgow just one try away from the bonus point.

The second half was a slow burner initially, but having worked their way up into Kings territory, the Warriors turned to a training park move to extend their lead.

From a five-metre lineout, Jonny Gray took the ball and then as Fagerson looped around the ball was palmed down to him. At full pelt there was no way he was going to be stopped by Poerie van Rooyen and the Warriors prop crashed over.

Hastings’ conversion came back off the post.

They were able to push on from there, with Matt Smith emerging from a pile of bodies after a dominant rolling maul from the home side.

Having come on for Hastings, Ruaridh Jackson imitated him by hitting the post with the conversion attempt.

Try number six followed, this time the impressive Horne sniping over, and although the Kings responded with an intercept score by Jacques Nel, the Warriors had the last laugh as George Turner crossed for a final try with the last play of the game.

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