What a rank-rotten decision by Phil Fear for the final penalty. Poor bloody Johnny Barclay, makes a tackle, and as the tackled player drops to the turf he doesn't go to ground, keeps his footing, keeps both hands on the ball and tries to wrench it away.
No Ulster player is there to ruck over the tackled player and require Barclay to release the ball. One Ulster back standing behind Barclay tries to pull him away, but the player on the floor has already committed the penalty by hanging onto the ball for grim death. Could the penalty for not releasing the ball on the floor be any clearer?

Aaarrrrgghhhhh! Idiot!

Sorry Number 9. The tackler was Andy Henderson and Barclay. Henderson got back on his feet, Barclay didn't. 2nd and 3rd Ulster player arrived at the same time as Barclay forming the ruck. Although you can't hear the ref calling hands off by the laws, it was a penalty although you do at times get away with a little delaying tactic. He should have known better with the way the game was.
I think overall Glasgow did enough to shade it we just need to hone the killer instinct and grind out games.

Barclay was never off his feet. The Ulster player was holding on as Barclay (while still on his feet) was trying to rip the ball from him. The Ulster player arrived to form the ruck, the ref shouted "hands off" and Barclay let go and then dropped to his knees and the referee gave the penalty. Even the commentator said that Best had to release the ball as the incident unfolded.

Barclay should have left him alone anyway and let DH try the drop if he wanted, but it was still a very debatable decision.

Just can't agree with you. Watching back again, Barclay never goes off his feet in the initial tackle. Henderson picks himself up and retreats behind the tackle. Best is on the ground, he must place or release the ball immediately - and he doesn't. It's only a split second until the Ulster players arrive and bind onto Barclay from the front - but thats plenty time to penalise Best for such a clear offence. Even when the ruck does form and Barclay is dragged forward off his feet he does release in what at any other time in the match would be a reasonable time. If the ref does call for "hands off", Barclay did so almost immediately
Could it be that Mr Fear was trying to balance up giving the previous penalty, knowing his call had swung the game, and was onto his whistle at the first opportunity he could see?
In the wider view maybe its a fair point that Barclay might have been better playing a more cagey game, and not do anything that would give the Ref even a sniff of a penalty. Maybe so - but he doesn't deserve to get pilloried when his good play is undone by an incompetent ref decison.

That last decision could easily have gone Glasgow's way. There have been so many poor refereeing perfomances this year in Glasgow games it's unreal.
Also, one of Ulster's first penalties of the game seemed ridiculous; Glasgow were penalised for holding on about 10m out from their line, although the Ulsterman clearly came in from the Glasgow side, with his back fully to our goalline. If you want to win the ball at a ruck, you must always enter from behind the rearmost foot surely?

How many times have we had the benefit of watching a replay of the incident to come to our conclusions? How many times did the ref have the same opportunity to peruse over the incident?

It's alot easier for commentators and supporters sitting away from the action with an entire scope of the field or play to see things. Down amongst the action, in amongst the 30 guys on the field though is a whole different view. Refs have no benefit of 50 and 60 replays of one incident like TV has.

Split second desisions right or wrong have some affect in games. Refs are human, refs make mistakes. The games over, the ref made the desision, the game was lost, move on.

Makes a comment facility pretty redundant right enough.

Ok let's rephrase it then....From where I see it, the games over, the ref made the decision, the game was lost.

I had a pretty good view of the final penalty incident from the stand at Ravenhill and have since watched the recordings and believe me Barclay was extremely unlucky to be penalised.

Nevertheless, give credit to a young but streetwise Ulster pack who were cute enough to take full advantage by pulling Barclay forward and hoodwinking the referee. Surprisingly for many, I do not view this incident as key to the game. The game was lost in the first quarter by three soft penalties. These penalties were conceded right in my line of view. I would opine that two were genuine and one was questionable, so when will the Glasgow line recognise that 300mm past the back foot usually generates 3 points, but makes no difference to either a Drift or Blitz defence...WAKEN UP GUYS! But for me the real howler was to give up control of the game, when clearly in possesion of the upper hand, by that ridiculous attempt at a chip ahead from Dan Parks. Glasgow owned the ball at that point, Ulster never looked like crossing the line...and could have played for another week and never crossed the line, so why gamble away possesion, particularly with a world class predetor staring you in the face.

So let's stop bleating on about what young Barcaly should or should not have done and focus on the serious lack of concentration that gifted Ulster 3 penalties and a converted try.

We can argue all we like about the penalty, what about humphrey's try, that was the real blow, who was at fault for that ??

Not like you to hold back in naming and blaming.

Must be mellowing in my old age..........now where is my pipe and slippers??

S153 is correct to focus on the Humphries try as the killer (as I had stated above). What makes it worse for me was a conversation this morning with an Ulster Fan, who informed me that the gathered assembly at Ravenhill could not believe their luck when Dan chose not to run straight at their weakest tackler. My friend went on to opine that he and his fellow supporters' hearts sank when they saw Humphries step up the the tackle berth feeling certain that Glasgow would break the line...needless worry as it turned out with that wasteful attempted chip!

Good to see you're taking your own advice and not "bleating on"