Leinster, so frequently their nemesis, missed out on the Guinness PRO12 play-offs for the first time in their history in 2015 and it came down to the Scotstoun side and Anthony Foley's Munster, level on 75 points at season's end, to decide another riveting campaign.
The Scotstoun side only lost five games in the GUINNESS PRO12 league, winning 16 and drawing one, but both Munster and the Ospreys ran the Warriors close in the regular season league standings, with Steve Tandy's side finishing just a point further back before the play-offs.
The Early Winners:
Glasgow banished memories of their 2014 final loss to Leinster on the opening day of the season. Josh Strauss, Peter Horne and Jonny Gray all went over for Townsend's men, with Hogg striking a last minute penalty to clinch a 22-20 victory and set the tone for the campaign
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Their title credentials were laid plain as the Warriors won 13 of their first 15 games, but Steve Tandy's Ospreys and Neil Doak's Ulster both set a similarly high precedent as the season began.
Ospreys - despite the loss of Adam Jones, Ian Evans and Richard Hibbard - began with a bang, winning their first seven on the trot before Darren Cave's brace helped Ulster to end the Welshmen's unbeaten run in a 25-16 defeat at the Kingspan Stadium.
Doak's side obviously had a taste for claiming crucial scalps - they had ended Glasgow's five-game winning streak in similar fashion in Round Six, with Craig Gilroy and Tommy Bowe scoring late tries for the hosts to seal a 19-9 win.
Eventual finalists Munster did not start so brightly, losing two of their first four fixtures. Alan Solomons' Edinburgh side toughed out a 14-13 win against the three-time Guinness PRO12 champions thanks to Tom Heathcote's superb place kicking and a Jack Cuthbert try on opening night.
Townsend's Warriors had got into the habit of winning, but they were rocked over the festive period by an 1872 Cup loss against Edinburgh. Having won the first leg at Scotstoun 16-6, with Josh Strauss scoring the game's only try, Solomons' men were resurgent at BT Murrayfield and Tim Visser twice crossed to claim local bragging rights.
It was Ospreys who led the way and despite a disappointing derby loss to Scarlets on January 3, they bounced back with victory over Newport Gwent Dragons the following week to top the Guinness PRO12 charge with nine rounds remaining.
Solomons men aided their compatriots with a battling 24-16 win over the Ospreys that dented the Welshmen's hunt for top spot but Glasgow's early-season invincibility seemed to be on the wane as they lost 22-10 away to Munster and played out a thrilling 34-34 eight-try draw with Leinster at the RDS.
A bonus-point win against Ulster on the final day of the season ensured Glasgow would finish top of the Guinness PRO12 table for the first time and meant that the two teams would meet again in the semi-final, while a Conor Murray hat-trick against the Dragons ensured Munster earned a place in the play-offs where they were to face Tandy's Ospreys.
The play-offs:
Josh Matavesi and the Ospreys hearts were broken in the play-offs after the young centre was denied what he thought was a last-minute match-winning try against Munster at Thomond Park, only to be pulled back for a Rhys Webb knock-on.
It had been Webb's sensational solo score that had pulled Ospreys back into contention after Munster dominated the first period, but it was Paul O'Connell and his men who emerged victorious and booked their place at the Kingspan Stadium Grand Final.
Glasgow's play-off against Doak's side was a far cry from their dominant 32-10 win over Ulster in the final regular round of matches.
The Ulstermen led 14-9 with four minutes remaining, but a stirring Warriors fight-back saw Canadian winger DTH van der Merwe cross to level the scores and Finn Russell's nerveless final kick clinched victory for Townsend's men.
The Grand Final:
After three years of losses in the Guinness PRO12 play-offs, Glasgow at last ended their Irish hoodoo when they dominated Munster in Belfast in the final.
Leone Nakarawa was a man possessed at the Kingspan Stadium. Known for his outrageous off-loads, everything went to hand for Nakarawa, while he combined his subtle hands with a fearsome power game, leaving Munster's defensive line in tatters.
Rob Harley, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell and Van der Merwe all scored as Glasgow became Scotland's first ever Guinness PRO12 champions with a 31-13 victory.
Top Scorers:
It was Munster's Ian Keatley who bagged the most points with 184, closely followed by Wales and Ospreys star Dan Biggar on 176, with Ian Madigan, Rhys Patchell and Sam Davies completing the top five and surprisingly, no Warriors in sight.
Webb topped the try-scoring charts with 12, Craig Gilroy one behind him, with Munster pair Simon Zebo and CJ Stander on nine each. DTH Van der Merwe was the only Warrior on the list, rounding out the top five with eight tries.
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