Glasgow Warriors moved to the top of the BKT United Rugby Championship standings with a hard-fought 26-21 bonus-point victory over Zebre Parma, though Franco Smith’s side were made to work considerably harder than the final scoreline suggests against opponents who belied their bottom-of-the-table status.
Key moments
17′ – YELLOW CARD ZEBRE: David Odiase sent to sin bin for illegally collapsing rolling maul
18′ – PENALTY TRY GLASGOW: Referee Robbie Jenkinson awards penalty try after Zebre illegally sack maul, George Horne conversion not required (Zebre 0-7 Glasgow)
24′ – TRY GLASGOW: Gregor Hiddleston driven over from lineout maul after Jack Dempsey’s soaring take, George Horne converts (Zebre 0-14 Glasgow)
30′ – TRY ZEBRE: Franco Carrera crashes over from close range after strong scrum earns penalty and lineout, Martin Roger converts (Zebre 7-14 Glasgow)
33′ – TRY GLASGOW: Gregor Hiddleston burrows over for second try from another rolling maul, George Horne converts (Zebre 7-21 Glasgow)
Half-time: Zebre 7-21 Glasgow
44′ – YELLOW CARD GLASGOW: Adam Hastings sent to sin bin for high tackle on Albert Batista
46′ – TRY ZEBRE: Giulio Bertaccini crashes through Huw Jones to score under posts, Martin Roger converts (Zebre 14-21 Glasgow)
51′ – NO TRY GLASGOW: Gregor Brown slides for line after Zander Fagerson tee-up, TMO rules no clear grounding
51′ – YELLOW CARD ZEBRE: Franco Carrera sent to sin bin for lineout offence
63′ – YELLOW CARD ZEBRE: Leonard Krumov sent to sin bin for changing bind and bringing down advancing maul
65′ – TRY GLASGOW: Adam Hastings crosses in corner after George Horne’s flat pass following return from sin bin, Horne misses conversion (Zebre 14-26 Glasgow)
70′ – TRY ZEBRE: Lorenzo Pani intercepts Adam Hastings’ looping pass and races 40 metres to score, Giovanni Montemauri converts (Zebre 21-26 Glasgow)
80′ – Rory Darge turnover and George Horne kick to touch secures victory
Full-time: Zebre Parma 21-26 Glasgow Warriors
A brace of tries from hooker Gregor Hiddleston, overlooked for Scotland’s Six Nations squad just days earlier, combined with a penalty try and a late score from Adam Hastings secured all five points for the Warriors. Yet this was far from the clinical display that had seen them thrash Zebre 47-10 in the reverse fixture, and the hosts’ spirited fightback ensured a nervy finish in the northern Italian cold.
The Stormers’ earlier defeat by the Sharks in Cape Town had opened the door for Glasgow to leapfrog the South Africans at the summit, and while John Dobson’s charges retain a game in hand, there is a momentum and confidence to this Warriors set-up that bodes well for their twin assault on domestic and European honours. This was their eighth consecutive victory across all competitions.
On a crisp evening at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, it was the home side who started the brighter, enjoying the lion’s share of territory and possession in the early exchanges. Yet the Glasgow defence held firm, with Rory Darge pouncing for an early turnover under the Parma floodlights.
The Warriors struggled to find their rhythm in the opening quarter, squandering what little possession they enjoyed through poor decisions and equally unimpressive execution. Hastings missed touch with a penalty to the corner, whilst even the normally immaculate Sione Tuipulotu threw a couple of wild passes. The Zebre fringe defence largely throttled the likes of Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones and Kyle Rowe.
When in doubt, Glasgow returned to the old faithful. They fired up their lineout drive, making significant yards and eking out several penalties in quick succession before referee Robbie Jenkinson, officiating his first tournament match, ran under the sticks to signal a penalty try. David Odiase, the otherwise excellent Italy back-rower, was also shown a yellow card for his role in illegally sacking the maul.
That sticky initial spell behind them, Glasgow had found their blueprint, and there was no surprise to find them returning to it again and again thereafter. Zebre had no answer to the Scottish maul other than to infringe, and seconds after Jenkinson had issued a final warning, Hiddleston burst over from the back of another perfectly calibrated drive set up by Dempsey’s soaring lineout take. Horne added the extras for a 14-0 lead.
To their credit, Zebre did not simply fold. Instead, Massimo Brunello’s team took a leaf from Glasgow’s book and scored a maul try of their own, the platform having been set by a terrific scrum that forced a penalty that Martin Roger put to the corner. Jacopo Bianchi was stopped by Darge but his second-row colleague Franco Carrera was not to be denied from point-blank range. The TMO confirmed the grounding after a series of replays.
Alas for Zebre, they conceded a virtual carbon-copy of Glasgow’s second score within three minutes. The initial catch this time came from Max Williamson, and whilst Hiddleston had more to do to wriggle his way over the line, the hooker managed it with aplomb. Horne’s conversion established a 21-7 lead at the interval.
The second period began disastrously for Glasgow when Hastings was shown a yellow card for making contact with the head of Albert Batista, his arm tucked in the tackle. The fly-half was upright but a change in height ensured the punishment would not be upgraded.
Zebre made their numerical advantage count immediately. Giulio Bertaccini crashed through Jones to score under the posts within two minutes of the restart, Roger’s conversion cutting the deficit to seven points at 21-14.
Glasgow thought they had secured the bonus point in the 51st minute when Gregor Brown slid for the line after a lovely tee-up from replacement prop Zander Fagerson. However, the TMO could not find conclusive evidence of a grounding, and the try was chalked off. The Warriors’ frustration was compounded when Carrera was sent to the sin bin for a prior lineout offence, leaving both sides with 14 men.
Smith’s side should have moved out of sight during their own sin-bin period, but kept butchering opportunities, with Ollie Smith a primary culprit. Zebre’s ill-discipline remained equally prominent, however, and when captain Leonard Krumov was dispatched to the sin bin for changing his bind on an advancing maul, Hastings finally crossed.
The freshly returned fly-half finished expertly in the right corner from Horne’s fine flat pass, securing the bonus point with 15 minutes remaining. Horne’s conversion drifted wide, leaving the score at 26-14.
Still it was not done. Lorenzo Pani picked off Hastings’ looping ball towards Rowe and raced 40 metres to score, Giovanni Montemauri’s conversion reducing the deficit to just five points with 10 minutes remaining. The Parma crowd, sparse at kick-off, found their voice as they urged their side on.
With the rain beginning to fall and the stage set for a grandstand finish, the Warriors held firm. Seb Stephen’s chop tackle and Darge’s turnover earned a penalty on halfway with the clock in the red. Horne duly sent the ball into the stands to bring down the curtain on proceedings and confirm Glasgow’s position at the summit.
What they said
Franco Smith, Glasgow Warriors head coach: “It’s always excellent to win here. It wasn’t pretty. Everybody always feels that the team winning must do more and be better but I thought Zebre put up a big fight. They never went away, they just stayed in it, so compliments to them and their coaching group. There is something special happening here at Zebre. We put them under pressure in certain areas of the game, the set piece especially. If they get that sorted out they will be very tough here in Parma.”
Analysis
This was a performance of function over form from Glasgow, a graveyard shift assignment that had none of the glamour of their recent Champions Cup successes against Saracens and Stade Français. Yet Franco Smith’s men took care of business despite regularly affording a dogged Zebre side a way back in.
The lineout maul was Glasgow’s primary weapon throughout, and nobody impressed more in these sequences than Hiddleston. The hooker’s absence from Gregor Townsend’s Six Nations squad remains difficult to explain at almost a week’s remove. An athletic, dynamic and canny performer, Hiddleston touched down twice in the latest decisive contribution in a season of many.
Glasgow’s match-day 23 contained no fewer than 573 caps, a greater combined tally than any side selected by a Scotstoun head coach over the past decade. Yet that experience did not prevent periods of sloppiness, particularly in the second half when opportunities to kill the contest were repeatedly squandered.
The Warriors’ vast Scotland contingent would sign right now for a repeat of this outcome when they face the Italian national team some 280 miles to the south in Rome in a fortnight’s time. The set-piece dominance that proved decisive here will be a significant weapon in the Six Nations.
For Zebre, there were encouraging signs despite a ninth defeat in 10 matches. Odiase’s back-row performance was outstanding before his yellow card, whilst Bertaccini’s direct running caused problems in midfield. Brunello’s side showed they can compete when they match opponents’ physicality, but the ill-discipline that yielded three yellow cards and multiple maul penalties must be addressed.
Implications
Glasgow climb to the top of the URC standings with 39 points from 10 matches, three clear of the Stormers who suffered a shock home defeat to the Sharks earlier in the day. The Warriors have now won all 27 competitive meetings between the teams and extended their winning streak to eight matches across all competitions.
Smith’s men face Munster at Scotstoun next Friday in the final fixture before the Six Nations break, a match that will determine whether they maintain their position at the summit heading into the international window. With several key players departing for Scotland duty, the depth of their squad will be tested in the second half of the campaign.
Zebre remain rooted to the foot of the table with 10 points from 10 matches following Scarlets’ dramatic victory over Ulster. Their next assignment is a trip to face Cardiff, where they will seek only their second league win of the season.
Teams
Zebre Parma: Lorenzo Pani; Matteo Belloni, Giulio Bertaccini, Damiano Mazza, Albert Batista; Martin Roger (Giovanni Montemauri 66), Alessandro Fusco (Gonzalo Garcia 54); Juan Pitinari (Muhamed Hasa 49), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Giovanni Quattrini 54), Enrique Pieretto (Luca Franceschetto 59); Franco Carrera (Alessandro Ortombina 63), Leonard Krumov (capt); Bruno Stavile, Jacopo Bianchi (Davide Ruggeri 63), David Odiase.
Glasgow Warriors: Kyle Rowe; Kyle Steyn (capt), Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (Stafford McDowall 47), Ollie Smith; Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti (Nathan McBeth 47), Gregor Hiddleston (Seb Stephen 47), Murphy Walker (Zander Fagerson 47); Alex Craig (Scott Cummings 66), Max Williamson; Gregor Brown, Rory Darge (Euan Ferrie 47), Jack Dempsey (Matt Fagerson 66).
Yellow cards: David Odiase (Zebre) 17, Adam Hastings (Glasgow) 44, Franco Carrera (Zebre) 51, Leonard Krumov (Zebre) 63
Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)
TMO: Colin Stanley
