Glasgow Warriors give Duncan Weir perfect send-off with crushing win over Zebre

Duncan Weir bowed out on a high as Glasgow defeated Zebre 47-10 on a freezing night to move up into second place in the URC table.

The Italians have never defeated Warriors in 26 meetings but held their own for long spells before being blown away in the closing stages.

Tries from Stafford McDowall, Ollie Smith, Seb Stephen, Jamie Dobie and Gregor Hiddleston had already secured the bonus point by the time Weir crossed for number six to get the biggest cheer of the night.

Duncan Weir is mobbed by his Glasgow Warriors teammates after scoring a late try. | SNS Group

The fly-half, who also landed three conversions, appeared off the bench for his 163rd and final appearance in a Glasgow shirt as he moves into a new coaching role in the club’s academy.

There was still time for Dobie to land Glasgow’s seventh try to embellish the scoreline on a night when they weren’t at their real attacking best until Zebre’s resistance finally wilted late on.

Warriors’ first try was one from the training ground. Jare Oguntibeju safely gathered the line-out before feeding Rory Darge who in turn picked out Ben Afshar.

The scrum-half darted for the posts and then picked out McDowall who had run the perfect inside line to take the ball and dot down.

That seemed to settle some of the nerves and a second try added to the rising feelgood factor.

Oguntibeju was again involved with a pass to Adam Hastings but the real work was done by Smith who gained possession before embarking on a zigzag run all the way to the try line.

Hastings comfortably made both conversions but, on an evening when the temperature dropped into minus figures, you could understand the appeal of a summer switch to Montpellier, should that move come to pass.

Jamie Dobie celebrates scoring a try during Glasgow Warriors' win over Zebre. | SNS Group

That second try seemed to provide Warriors the platform to go on and win comfortably but an immediate response from the visitors temporarily halted their momentum.

It was the sort of soft concession that tends to drive Franco Smith mad as Martin Farias spotted a gap in midfield and simply burst through it before passing to Giulio Bertaccini who grounded under pressure from Ollie Smith.

Glasgow did at least make their head coach happy – or happier at least - with a third try just before half-time when the trusty maul drove over Stephen for a score that Hastings couldn’t convert.

Zebre’s No. 8 Davide Ruggeri was shown a yellow card for trying to illegally halt Glasgow in their tracks, seemingly leaving his team up against it at the start of the second period.

Instead it was Warriors left searching for answers once more when substitute hooker Giovanni Quattrini burrowed over for Zebre’s second try of the night.

On came Weir as one of five changes as Glasgow looked to make sure of the victory and a fourth try did just that. Duncan Munn teed it up with a clever kick down the line that Dobie chased and reached first before dotting down.

Ben Afshar was denied a try for a foot in touch before making way for scrum-half Jack Oliver to make his debut. But a fifth score wasn’t far away and it came from Hiddleston who rumbled over from close range.

It was Weir’s try, put away by Dobie, that got the biggest cheer of the night before Dobie rounded off an emphatic win with number seven.