On a miserable night at Scotstoun, the Warriors aimed to register a club-record seventh successive league victory but failed to do so as Leinster ran out winners in a low scoring game.
With the Warriors star players on international duty, Townsend was forced to field a number of youthful players and their inexperience was evident with a number of errors costing the home side dear.
In a game which saw two Warriors player’s sin binned, Leinster had a numerical advantage on the field of play in periods of the game, allowing them to reign victorious.
After the first whistle was blown, the reigning European champions set out their stall early on and took a 3-0 lead after just four minutes. Madigan was the man able to slot the ball in between the posts from out wide.
Leinster probed the Warriors defence in the first period and put them under pressure forcing the home side to commit mistakes. Tom Ryder was sent to the sin bin after 24 minutes for infringement at the ruck.
Despite being down to 14 men, the Warriors held strong and defended valiantly allowing them to go in at the half time break just three points down.
In the second half, as the rain bucketed down, Warriors captain, Chris Fusaro was sin binned after just 50 minutes. This allowed Leinster double their lead with Madigan taking advantage of the home side’s indiscipline by slotting between the posts once more.
As the clock ticked down, the home side battled desperately to test the Leinster try line after they saw their point’s scorer, Madigan sent to the sin bin. Glasgow’s efforts proved to be in vain though and the Warriors will now look to get back to winning ways against Munster at Thomond Park next week.
Gregor Townsend said: “I thought we defended very well in the first half but we didn’t capitalise on the pressure we had in the second. We dominated the territory in the second period but found it difficult to string more than three phases of play together.
“We made some mistakes, whether of our own making or through the weather, but I thought it was a game we could have won.”
Losing man of the match, Josh Strauss said: “Discipline really cost us and we weren’t clinical when we had the ball in their half. We kept giving possession away as well so it was a really tough evening.”
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Peter Murchie, Tommy Seymour, Alex Dunbar, Peter Horne, DTH Van Der Merwe, Ruaridh Jackson, Sean Kennedy, Ofa Fainga’anuku, Pat MacArthur, Mike Cusack, Tim Swinson, Tom Ryder, Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro CAPTAIN, Josh Strauss
REPLACEMENTS: Finlay Gillies, George Hunter, Moray Low, James Eddie, Ryan Wilson, George Graham, Scott Wight, Byron McGuigan
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa, Dave Kearney, Brendan Macken, Andrew Goodman, Fionn Carr, Ian Madigan. Isaac Boss, Jack McGrath, Aaron Dundon, Jamie Hagan, Leo Cullen CAPTAIN, Quinn Roux, Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings, Sean O’Brien
REPLACEMENTS: Thomas Sexton, Jack O’Connell, Martin Moore, Devin Toner, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Noel Reid, Andrew Conway
Referee: Neil Hennessey (WRU), Assistants: Andy Macpherson, Bob Nevins (both SRU), TMO: Andy Ireland (SRU)
