Matawalu sparkles as Warriors stay perfect, Munster and Scarlets win

Niko Matawalu lit up Scotstoun as Glasgow Warriors maintained their 100 per cent Pro14 record with a 31-21 victory over Leinster, while Munster and the Scarlets were also winners on Friday.

Glasgow were beaten at home by Leinster in the European Champions Cup last month, but gained revenge with a devastating first-half display to make it eight Pro14 wins out of eight.

Dave Rennie’s men had a bonus point in the bag in the first half after George Horne and Nick Grigg scored two tries apiece, with Leinster unable to contain the rampant Conference A leaders.

Wing Matawalu was the star of the show, laying on the first try for Horne and providing the assist for Grigg to go over after another incisive run.

Tries from Jamison Gibson-Park and Rory O’Loughlin had twice put Leinster in front, but they were 31-14 down at the break following a scintillating run from Matawalu which started from deep in his own half before he set up Grigg’s second five-pointer following another Horne score.

Glasgow were a man down for 20 minutes in the second half with Scott Cummings and Alex Dunbar both spending time in the bin and Adam Byrne’s converted try reduced the deficit to 10 points, but the leaders were not to be denied victory on a night which saw Peter Horne score 11 points from the tee.

? #GLAvLEI

????@GlasgowWarriors win EIGHTH straight league game, shining in the first half vs @leinsterrugby for the win. #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/PRsqS2ES80

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) November 3, 2017

Munster are eight points behind Glasgow in second place after a seven-try, 49-6 rout of the Dragons.

Wing Simon Zebo, bound for Racing 92 and snubbed by Ireland for the November internationals, was among the try-scorers and Sam Arnold claimed a double, while JJ Hanrahan scored 14 points with the boot in a superb performance at Irish Independent Park.

Stand-in fly-half Dan Jones helped himself to a 15-point haul in the absence of Rhys Patchell as Conference B leaders Scarlets beat Benetton Treviso 20-8.