United Rugby Championship
Glasgow (19) 47
Tries: McDowall, Smith, Stephen, Dobie 2, Hiddleston, Weir Cons: Hastings 2, Weir 3, Lancaster
Zebre (5) 10
Tries: Bertaccini, Quattrini
Glasgow Warriors moved second in the United Rugby Championship with a bonus-point win over Zebre in Duncan Weir’s final appearance.
The former Scotland fly-half and two-time league title winner with Glasgow came on as a second-half substitute for his last Warriors game and marked the occasion with a try and three conversions.
A youthful Glasgow ensured he signed off with a win, with Stafford McDowall, Ollie Smith and Seb Stephen crossing in the first half to establish a 19-5 half-time lead.
Giovanni Quattrini scored after the break to add to Zebre’s first-half try from Guilio Bertaccini, but two Jamie Dobie scores and one each from Gregor Hiddleston and Weir had Glasgow winning comfortably.
Warriors struck early with a beautifully worked try. A rolling line-out maul was sent towards the Zebre line, scrum-half Ben Afshar peeled off and drew the defence before popping inside for McDowall to glide over untouched.
Full-back Smith continued his excellent recent form with a fabulous second try, showing tremendous pace and footwork to slice through the defence and go in under the sticks.
Zebre struck against the run of play when Bertaccini crossed, but Glasgow re-established the two-score advantage just before half-time when hooker Stephen finished off a driving maul.
The Italians were not done yet and powered a rolling maul over the line for substitute hooker Quattrini to dot down.
Warriors dampened the visitors’ enthusiasm with a brilliantly engineered fourth try to seal the bonus point.
Some exquisite handling created space for Duncan Munn to deftly chip ahead and nobody was beating Dobie in the race to the corner. Weir, having entered the action a few minutes earlier, banged over the conversion from the touchline.
Glasgow used the maul to great effect once again to send substitute Hiddleston over for try number five.
The sixth almost raised the Scotstoun roof as Dobie made a searing break up the touchline, stepped inside and found Weir to send the club great over for one final try before he moves into an academy coaching role.
Dobie added another to round off a very satisfying evening for Franco Smith’s side.
Glasgow Warriors: Smith, Munn, McDowall, Yule, Dobie, Hastings, Afshar, Schickerling, Stephen, Richardson, Oguntibeju, Williamson, Ferrie, Darge, Duncan.
Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Talakai, Craig, Miller, Oliver, Weir, Lancaster.
Zebre: Pani, Belloni, Bertaccini, Lucchin, Batista, Roger, Dominguez, Buonfiglio, Klein, Pieretto, Canali, Carrera, Volpi, Bianchi, Ruggeri.
Replacements: Quattrini, Franceschetto, Nocera, Milano, Odiase, Prinsloo, Montemauri, Morisi.
