Unconvincing Glasgow Warriors make life hard for themselves against Zebre and fail to make ground on Leinster

The Italians made it hard for the hosts who had made 12 changes to their starting XV and seemed to lack fluency. The lead changed hands five times in the second half before Glasgow pulled away with late tries from Johnny Matthews – his second of the match – and Tom Jordan to win 38-26. The other scores came from Jamie Bhatti, Kyle Rowe and Sebastian Cancelliere.

Despite the win, Glasgow failed to make up any ground on Leinster who beat Connacht 33-7 with a bonus point in Dublin. The Warriors move up from fourth place but they may return there on Saturday depending on the results of the matches between Munster and Ulster, and Sharks and Bulls.

It’s the final weekend of the regular league season and Franco Smith’s side are already guaranteed a home tie in the quarter-final play-offs next Saturday, but if they can finish in the top two they would also be at home in the semis, should they make it that far. They got off to a flier against Zebre and there was little sign of the problems that were to come.

Glasgow were on the attack from the off, winning a couple of early penalties and, from the second, a kick to the corner set up a lineout maul from which Bhatti scored. Duncan Weir, making his 150th appearance for the club, converted. Then a strange thing happened. Glasgow seemed to suffer a dip and Zebre seized the initiative. They pounded the Warriors line and the pressure yielded a penalty. Giovanni Montemauri opted to kick the points which wasn’t a bad outcome for the home side given the circumstances. The Zebre stand-off added another in the 24th minute to cut Glasgow’s lead to a point but the Warriors had tries disallowed either side of Montemauri’s second penalty.

Glasgow did eventually notch their second try in the 31st minute and it bore a striking resemblance to the first. Once again, Richie Gray won lineout ball but this time it was Matthews on the end of the driving maul. Jacopo Trulla reduced the deficit to 12-9 just before half-time by landing a monster penalty from his own half and then danced his way around Weir to help create a superb try with the clock in the red. The full-back fed Pierre Bruno whose brilliant offload opened the door for Montemauri to run in the score which the stand-off then converted to give the visitors a shock 16-12 lead at the interval.

It was all a bit scrappy and every time Glasgow edged ahead Zebre pinned them back. Rowe nudged them into the lead in the 47th minute after good work by Sione Tuipulotu but almost immediately Rory Darge threw an intercept pass which Bautista Stavile gobbled up to score. Montemauri’s conversion made it 23-17 to the visitors but Cancelliere gave the initiative back to Glasgow by securing the bonus-point try. George Horne converted to give the Warriors a one-point advantage but Montemauri’s third penalty meant the lead lasted precisely three minutes.

There was some anxiety in the stands but Matthews did his best to alleviate it by bagging his second score of the night. Once again the URC’s top try-scorer was at the back of the lineout drive and the hooker carried it a long way before grounding it. Horne’s conversion made it 31-26. Glasgow’s replacements combined for the Warriors’ sixth try which was scored by Jordan with help from Euan Ferrie and Ross Thompson. Horne converted from out wide to make it 38-26.

Scorers: Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Bhatti, Matthews 2, Rowe, Cancelliere, Jordan. Cons: Weir, Horne 3. Zebre Parma: Tries: Montemauri, Stavile. Cons: Montemauri 2. Pens: Montemauri 3, Trulla.

Glasgow Warriors: K Rowe; F Cordero (G Horne 48), H Jones (Tom Jordan 62), S Tuipulotu, S Cancelliere; D Weir (R Thompson 48), J Dobie; J Bhatti (N McBeth 48), J Matthews (G Hiddleston 70), Z Fagerson (O Kebble 70), M Williamson (S Cummings 17), R Gray (E Ferrie 62), M Fagerson, R Darge, J Dempsey.

Zebre Parma: J Trulla; P Bruno, L Morisi, D Mazza (F Paea 56), S Gesi; G Montemauri (T Eden 66), A Fusco (R Jelic 31); D Fischetti (A Sanavia 40), G Ribaldi (T Di Bartolomeo 56), M Hasa (R Genovese 66), M Canali (D Sisi 51), L Krumov, G Ferrari, B Stavile, D Ruggeri (T Fox-Matamua 50).

Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU).