Glasgow (6) 22 Try: Van der Merwe Cons: Weir Pens: Jackson 3, Weir Drop-goal:Weir Leinster (16) 19 Tries: D. Ryan, Boss Pens: McFadden 2, Nacewa
Van der Merwe (left) scored Glasgow's try
Glasgow Warriors got their Magners League season off to a winning start with a late victory over Leinster.
The Irish side led 16-6 at the break with tries by Dominic Ryan and Isaac Boss, plus Fergus McFadden's penalties.
Glasgow could only muster two Ruaridh Jackson kicks but drew level after half-time with another kick by Jackson and DTH van der Merwe's converted try.
Kicks by Isa Nacewa and Duncan Weir evened matters, but Weir won it for Glasgow with a penalty on 76 minutes.
A feisty first half opened quietly with McFadden and Jackson exchanging penalties in the opening five minutes.
But jittery Glasgow hands let Dominic Ryan come very close after he had hacked to the home line.
Ryan was denied again a minute later when Jamie Heaslip put him through the hole, but the pass was adjudged forward, although McFadden soon notched his second penalty.
Yet it was third time lucky for Ryan when Heaslip snaffled a Fergus Thomson overthrow and put the flanker galloping in from 40 metres.
McFadden missed the kick and Glasgow came close a minute later when Jackson's hoist had Luke Fitzgerald in trouble.
But, from the penalty five metres out, Bernie Stortoni's quick tap was easily snuffed out.
With six minutes of the half to go, Glasgow again lost their own throw and the hack-on led to an extraordinary spell of football ping-pong by the home side behind their own line until Leinster's Boss got a hand on the ball for a soft try.
Glasgow fought back, but bursts by Richie Gray and Graeme Morrison were soaked up by the Irish defences to take the visitors in 16-6 ahead at the break.
The home side came out all guns blazing in the second half and Jackson pulled the margin back with a penalty.
Confidence grew for the Scots as the half wore on and Van der Merwe crashed over in the corner to score, with Weir, on for Jackson, slotting the equalising conversion.
Only desperate defence kept the rampaging Gray and Richie Vernon out, but the pressure told and Glasgow went through the phases to set up Weir for the drop goal that took the home side ahead for the first time in the game.
Nacewa got on the board with a Leinster penalty six minutes from time to level the scores.
But they then offended at a lineout and Glasgow's Weir kicked over from 30 metres to seal the win for the Scottish side.
Glasgow coach Sean Lineen: "I'm delighted for the lads. They put in an amazing second-half effort.
"It's so important for their confidence because we've some young players who've worked really hard over the pre-season.
"This is a huge result, but it's only one game and we aren't getting carried away.
"We've got Newport next week, so that'll ground us a bit.
"But we should enjoy the moment as Leinster are hugely experienced with plenty of international players."
Glasgow: Stortoni, van der Merwe, M. Evans, Morrison, Aramburu, Jackson, Pyrgos, Welsh, Thomson, Low, Ryder, Gray, Wilson, Forrester, Vernon. Replacements: O'Hare for Aramburu (70), Weir for Jackson (64), Grant for Welsh (40), MacArthur for Thomson (59), Kalman for Low (68), Muldowney for Ryder (65), Harley for Wilson (49). Not Used: Murchie.
Leinster: Fitzgerald, Horgan, O'Malley, McFadden, Morris, Nacewa, Boss, van der Merwe, Strauss, Shawe, Hines, O'Donoghue, D. Ryan, O'Brien, Heaslip. Replacements: Madigan for Horgan (54), Sheridan for McFadden (66), Fogarty for Strauss (48), Prescott for Shawe (47). Not Used: McGrath, Galarza, Keogh, O'Donohoe.
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