How Glasgow Warriors left the pyrotechnics in the box as one player's form bodes well for Scotland

Glasgow Warriors moved to the top of the United Rugby Championship after a fairly perfunctory win over Zebre Parma.

We’ve grown accustomed to fireworks from the champions recently but this was a night when they were solid rather than spectacular. The defence was extremely impressive but with Sione Tuipulotu rested, they were lacking a little sparkle.

The pyrotechnics may have been left in the box but there were still five tries to savour for the Scotstoun crowd in a 33-3 victory. Huw Jones scored in each half and was named man of the match, turning in the sort of performance that bodes well for Scotland ahead of the autumn Tests. Equally pleasing from a national perspective was the form of forwards Euan Ferrie and Gregor Brown, who both made a persuasive case for inclusion in Gregor Townsend’s squad.

Johnny Matthews and Grant Stewart each nabbed a try off the back of a lineout drive and there was also a score from Jamie Dobie, who was on the wing to accommodate the returning George Horne. Adam Hastings, playing at stand-off instead of Tom Jordan, converted four of the five tries and slotted in nicely.

Huw Jones celebrates his second try against Zebre. | SNS Group

Jones was pleased with the result but was certainly not getting carried away. “It's a bonus point win and we stopped them scoring a try which was our aim going into it,” said the centre. “We’re happy with the result and we had some really good periods but probably a whole lot of nothing at times. The coaches will have a better idea but on the whole, pretty good.”

Stiffer tests await the Warriors, who will head to South Africa next week to play the Sharks and Stormers. Jordan, an unused replacement, and Tuipulotu will be fresh and raring to go and they head south in a good place. Leinster may knock them off top spot on Saturday - but there is a long way to go.

Zebre are obdurate opponents but Glasgow came alive with two quick tries after an untidy opening 10 minutes. The first, scored by Matthews, was straight out of the Warriors manual, the hooker being shunted over from a lineout drive after Jack Dempsey had risen highest. The second was sparked by an initial break from Jones and some good support play by Horne and Stafford McDowall. Kyle Rowe, playing at full-back, was held up just short and Zander Fagerson was denied but Glasgow were able to ship it wide to Dobie for his third try of the season.

Hastings converted both, the second one from out wide, and the noise levels at Scotstoun went up accordingly.

Zebre are an improving side as their recent win over Munster showed and they clawed back three points though a penalty from Giacomo Da Re but Glasgow claimed their third try soon after. They were patient in building the phases, with Ferrie and Zander Fagerson both prominent, before Jones slipped inside De Re to score. Hastings converted.

Huw Jones breaks through to score his first try of the night. | SNS Group

Ferrie, playing in the back row, had impressed and it was unfortunate that he had to go off injured early in the second half. It didn’t affect Glasgow unduly. Max Williamson came on at lock, with Brown moving into the back row and the Warriors’ fourth try soon followed. Horne flicked the ball out high from the base of a ruck and Scott Cumming timed his pass to perfection for Jones to run on to and score. The bonus point was in the bag and the home side were able to cut loose a little. Horne went on a brilliant run up the left wing, chipping ahead and collecting, but Geronimo Prisciantelli, the Zebre full-back, was able to haul him back. Glasgow moved it out to the right but it broke down when Patrick Schickerling, on his home debut, fumbled.

The home supporters didn’t have too long to wait for the fifth try and it came via a lineout maul. Stewart, in his second spell at the club, had replaced Matthews by this point and the substitute hooker was able to force his way over for his first Glasgow try since November 2020. Hastings was uncharacteristically off target with the conversion, his first miss of the night after four successes.

Glasgow thought they had scored a sixth try a couple of minutes later through Horne but it was chalked off for an infringement by Hastings in the build-up. It mattered little in the final analysis, with the bonus point victory safely secured.