Glasgow run in five to beat Connacht and extend unbeaten URC start

Glasgow Warriors defeated Connacht at home to secure a bonus-point victory in the United Rugby Championship on 9 October 2026, remaining unbeaten at the start of the season.

After last weekend's draw with Ulster at Scotstoun, Warriors were aiming for their first home win of the campaign and conceded the opening score when Connacht number eight Sean Jansen crossed the line. Glasgow responded on their first meaningful attack when a rolling line-out maul was driven over for Gregor Hiddleston’s opening try.

Rory Darge finished off a second maul-based score and George Horne converted to put Glasgow five points ahead, as the hosts repeatedly exploited Connacht’s difficulty defending rolling mauls. Prop Sam Illo was sin-binned for illegally halting a maul, but Glasgow kicked to the corner again and Hiddleston touched down for his second try, sending Glasgow into the interval 12 points in front.

Dan Lancaster then found Jamie Dobie with a cross-field kick; Dobie’s collected grubber created the space for Josh McKay to score the Warriors’ fourth try and secure the bonus point.

Connacht reduced the deficit when Josh Ioane crossed to make it 26-14 and later scored in the corner to bring the visitors to within a single score. Substitute Josh Murphy was sin-binned for a high shot on Seb Stephen, and Glasgow immediately capitalised when Stephen finished another rolling line-out maul. Lancaster added a late penalty as Glasgow sealed the maximum five points.

Scoring summary: Tries: Hiddleston 2, Darge, McKay, Stephen. Cons: Horne 4. Pens: Lancaster. Connacht tries: Jansen, Ioane 2. Cons: Frawley 2.

Glasgow Warriors: McKay, Dobie, Smith, Tuipulotu (capt), Watson, Lancaster, Horne; McBeth, Hiddleston, Richardson, Williamson, Cummings, Fagerson, Darge, Duncan. Replacements: Stephen, Schickerling, Talakai, Brown, Oguntibeju, Miller, Reidy, Kuenzle.

Connacht: Ioane, Bolton, Aki, Forde, Hansen, Frawley, Blade; Bohan, De Buitlear, Illo, D Murray, N Murray, Prendergast (capt), Boyle, Jansen. Replacements: Victory, Van Wyk, Bealham, Murphy, Hurley-Langton, Reilly, Naughton, Gilbert.

The victory left Glasgow unbeaten and earned them the maximum five points in the United Rugby Championship.