The Glasgow Warriors rallied from a nine-point half-time deficit to replace Munster at the top of the Guinness PRO12 with victory at Scotstoun.
A try by Munster’s Robin Copeland right on half-time left Glasgow in a deep hole 18-9 down, but they shut out the Irishmen in the second half and tries by outstanding locks Leone Nakarawa and man of the match Jonny Gray turned the game on its head.
It was a long way from the perfect performance with too many errors and some dodgy execution in their own half, and the Warriors got key relief from two easy missed penalties by the otherwise excellent Munster fly-half JJ Hanrahan.
However the comeback was a key test of resolve for the home side and meant they avoided a run of losing four of their last five games putting a real dampener on their season.
Glasgow seemed to have it all in hand midway through the first half, 6-5 ahead with Munster’s talismanic lock Paul O’Connell in the sin bin for a comically silly offence at a ruck.
The Ireland captain continued to scrap for the ball off his feet at the side of a ruck as the visitors sought a second try to go with Hanrahan’s close range score after a sharp snipe between Nakarawa and Josh Strauss.
Finn Russell kicked three penalties as Hanrahan’s strike for a scrum offence allowed Munster to esacpe the 10 minutes a man down without loss on the scoreboard, and then the young Irish fly-half kicked an easy chance to put his side ahead.
Just before half-time, however, with the Warriors looking like they were looking forward too much to their half-time cuppa, the league leaders seized control with a series of attacking phases and No 8 Copeland smashed over for the try.
The successful conversion meant Munster had a nine-point cushion for the second half, and they impressively soaked up phase after phase of Glasgow possession as the home side looked to respond.
However going in at the side of a ruck on halfway gave Glasgow an attacking platform and after Gray went close after the lineout drive, Nakarawa stretched for the score, Russell converting.
Glasgow then had to defend manfully against a series of Munster attacks, but got off the hook when the previously perfect Hanrahan suddenly lost his range hooking two simple penalties wide of the posts.
And with six minutes left Munster paid the price, DTH van de Merwe’s run off a snipe from replacement Henry Pyrgos taking Glasgow to the Munster line, and Nakarawa’s off-load giving Gray the easy try.
Russell hit the post with the conversion and then missed a penalty, but Glasgow were able to hold on with something to spare for the final few minutes.
Glasgow: P Murchie (T Seymour 62); S Lamont, R Vernon, P Horne (J Downey 62), DTH van der Merwe; F Russell, N Matawalu (H Pyrgos 67); G Reid (A Allan 57), F Brown (D Hall 50), E Murray (J Welsh 57); L Nakarawa (T Swinson 74), J Gray; R Harley, T Holmes R Wilson 55), J Strauss (capt)
Munster: J Murphy (F Jones 17); A Conway, P Howard, D Hurley, S Zebo (I Keatley 62); J J Hanrahan, C Murray; J Ryan (E Guinazu 79), C O’Byrne (N Scannell 74), S Archer (BJ Botha 57); B Holland, P O’Connell; P O’Mahony (Do O’Callaghan 48), S Dougall (Da O’Callaghan 39), R Copeland.
Ref: L Hodges (WRU)