Classic Celtic Action

Celtic Warriors 29 - 23 Glasgow Rugby Brewery Field   Att: 1,950 Referee: Tony Redmond Friday 7th November 2003, 19:15

The faces on the fans said it all: This is what Celtic rugby is all about. Two uncompromising sides going toe-to-toe in a full-on forward's frenzy, and all played fairly.

Sometimes it wasn't pretty, but with two sides displaying total commitment to win, it was a spectacle to match any other. In the end it was the home fans that left the Brewery Field the happier. The Celtic Warriors had gained revenge for their Celtic Cup exit when they defeated Glasgow in a bruising Celtic League encounter at the Brewery Field earlier in the season. There was never much between two highly-committed sides except the boot of Welsh legend Neil Jenkins. Apart from controlling the game, Jenkins kicked five superb penalties and converted both of the Warriors tries which were scored by Chris Horsman and Gareth Wyatt. Glasgow stunned the home supporters by taking a first minute lead when Alan Bulloch fed an inside pass to David Millard who put Sam Pinder over under the posts. Calvin Howarth converted. But a Jenkins penalty was quickly followed by a powerful maul from a close-range lineout and Horsman was driven over for a try, converted by Jenkins. Howarth kicked a penalty for Glasgow but the visitors were caught napping on the half hour when Paul John took a quick throw on his own 10 metre line to send Wyatt sprinting clear for a try. Jenkins' conversion made it 17-10 at half-time to the home side. Andy Hall dropped a goal soon after the restart but Glasgow indiscipline proved costly as Jenkins added three more penalties to stretch the Warriors lead to 26-13. Good approach work by Scott Lawson and Rory Kerr paved the way for a Glasgow try by Bulloch, which was converted by replacement outside-half Daniel Parks. Jenkins made victory secure with his fifth penalty six minutes from time but Glasgow had the consolation of their first bonus point of the season when Parks kicked a penalty four minutes into injury time.

Celtic Warriors V Glasgow Rugby   P D C T Pos Player Player Pos T C D P   Emyr Lewis 15 Rory Kerr Aisea Havili Kaufusi 14 Dave Millard Shaun James 13 Gareth Maclure Lee Thomas 12 Alan Bulloch 1 1 Gareth Wyatt 11 Sean Lamont 5 2 Neil Jenkins 10 Calvin Howarth 1 1 Paul John 9 Sam Pinder 1 Geraint Morris 1 Euan Murray Matthew Rees 2 Scott Lawson 1 Chris Horsman 3 Lee Harrison Deiniol Jones 4 Andrew Hall 1 Nathan Budgett 5 Nathan Ross Mark Lewis 6 Andrew Wilson Richard Parks 7 Donnie Macfadyen Cory Harris 8 Paul Dearlove Replacements Christian Balshen 16 Fergus Thomson Martin Jones 17 Chris Birchall Huw Alford 18 Joe Beardshaw Ma'ama Molitika 19 Rory McKay Sililo Martens 20 Mark McMillan Matthew Nuthall 21 Dan Parks 1 1 Richard Mustoe 22 Jon Steel Penalty Tries 0 0

All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Graham Stuart