Glasgow 29 - 25 Newport Gwent Dragons: Defensive frailties almost costly as Glasgow douse the Dragons' flames

This was a bizarre game of rugby all round, played at a cracking pace from start to finish, but with little real control and almost all six tries coming from head-holding calamities. Glasgow's set-piece was better and the Dragons also struggled with their restarts in the first half, but they exploited defensive errors to claim a hold in the game.

The opening score came just one minute and seven seconds into the game and featured three of the players called into the team this week. Ruaridh Jackson, the stand-off making his first start since the end of last season, drilled a kick from Glasgow's first possession into touch in the Dragons 22, the visitors threw too long and Colin Gregor and Jackson set up Rob Dewey for a powerful run through defenders to the line.

Only two more minutes had passed when Glasgow scored their second try, this time No8 Johnnie Beattie charging down a kick by Jason Tovey and showing a neat bit of footballing skills to touch down. Jackson skewed his conversion wide of the posts this time, over-compensaing for the strong left to right wind, and the hosts were brought down to earth in similar fashion with just six minutes gone when Gregor's attempted clearance kick from deep inside his own 22 was charged down by lock Rob Sidoli, who duly ran five metres to touch down.

The work of the stand-offs ensured a high tempo, Jackson releasing players on his inside and outside, and he comfortably goaled a penalty from over 30 metres out with 12 minutes played.

Shaun Connor, his opposite number, missed a drop-goal attempt from the next Dragons attack and the helter-skelter opening to the match continued with an almost sevens-style daring about both sides' games. Both were alert to counter-attacking options, more so than Irish referee Peter Fitzgibbon, who was floored three times inside two minutes, and a Gregor penalty put Glasgow into a comfortable lead.

Still, they came unstuck, however. A 'header' more suited to Saturdays at Firhill off 6ft 9in Dragons lock Luke Charteris – many in the Glasgow crowd and team thought it was a knock-on – for openside flanker James Harris to react quickest and sprint away from a stunned Glasgow defence.

Thom Evans was lively on the right wing, Richie Gray towered in the lineout, flanker Kelly Brown was revelling in his return to the openside, eventual man-of-the-match Beattie was in eager form and prop Jon Welsh was a strong presence in the tight and about the field. A fine lineout steal and then sublime pass by Gregor provoked a penalty, which Jackson converted, and a yellow card for Dragons centre Tom Riley, but with five minutes of the first half remaining Glasgow's defence again fell asleep and Rhodri Gomer Davies darted through a gaping hole to score, Tovey converting. Jackson kicked another penalty to put Glasgow 24-19 ahead at half-time, but it was unfathomable quite how the Dragons had out-scored the hosts three tries to two.

Nothing changed at the break, either, with the kamikaze rugby continuing on the restart and Gregor having to use all of his body weight to hold up Gomer Davies after the centre had again shredded the home defence on a 20-metre run to the line.

Glasgow lost Thom Evans to injury and another three points, a high tackle by Fergus Thomson allowing Connor to cut the score to 24-22.

Both coaches looked for stability by changing their running fly-halves, James Arlidge replacing Connor and Dan Parks coming on for Jackson, with Mark McMillan also replacing captain Gregor. Within a minute Parks had twice cut down the Dragons attack with two solid tackles. I did say this was a bizarre game.

As for control, that was harder to establish in a game showing no interest in being reined in. Richie Gray, Brown and Beattie continued to provide leads for the hosts, but their defensive awareness remained appalling at times and only a great last-gasp tackle by Van der Merwe stopped replacement Martyn Thomas finishing a 30-metre run through Glasgow players.

It was enough to create a platform for the Dragons to take the lead, however, Arlidge slotting a penalty on the hour. But Parks responded with a superb 70-metre kick to touch five metres from the Dragons' line and they duly coughed up another try-creating error. A high clearance from Danny Lee swirled on the touchline without going out, and hooker Fergus Thomson was decisive where others dithered, grasping the loose ball and haring off to the right corner to score.

Glasgow then lost Callum Forrester, the blindside flanker, with what seemed a serious knee injury.

Parks missed a chance to put Glasgow seven points in front, sending a close-range penalty across the posts, and Glasgow almost paid the ultimate price as the Dragons battered at the home line in a frantic finale to the game. But, when it was needed most, Glasgow's defence held up and a second Heineken Cup win was secured.

Scorers: Glasgow: Tries: Dewey, Beattie, Thomson; Pens: Jackson 3, Gregor; Cons: Jackson. Dragons: Tries: Sidoli, Harris, Gomer Davies; Pens: Connor, Arlidge; Cons: Connor, Tovey

Glasgow: B Stortoni; D van der Merwe, M Evans, R Dewey, T Evans; R Jackson, C Gregor (capt); J Welsh, F Thomson, E Kalman, R Gray, D Turner, C Forrester, K Brown, J Beattie. Subs: P Murchie for T Evans 40mins, D Parks for Jackson, M McMillan for Gregor, both 50, K Tkachuk for Kalman 55, T Barker for Turner, P McArthur for Thomson, both 65, J Eddie for Forrester 70, J Va'a for Welsh 74.

Newport Gwent Dragons: J Tovey; A Brew, R Gomer Davies, T Riley, R Fussell; S Connor, D Lee; H Gustafson, T Willis (capt), G Robinson, R Sidoli, L Charteris, D Lydiate, J Harris, L Evans. Subs: S Jones for Willis 47mins, J Arlidge for Connor 50, M Thomas for Tovey 60, J Leadbetter for Lee 65, H MacDonald for Sidoli 70.

Referee: P Fitzgibbon (Ireland). Att: 2,626.