Horne helps Glasgow past brave Italians

GLASGOW last night maintained their unbeaten start to the season with yet another emphatic bonuspoint win — the display another sign they are the real deal under new head coach Dave Rennie.

The Guiness Pro14 season may be just five matches old but already he has his team playing a brand of exciting rugby as good as any seen in Gregor Townsend’s day. Benetton, who beat Edinburgh and the Ospreys back to back going into this, are no pushovers this season.

Yet Glasgow still ran out convincing winners, scoring tries through Tommy Seymour, Rob Harley and Peter Horne.

With a converted try from Sam Johnston in the last play of the game earning the bonus point.

With ten minutes on the clock, Glasgow took the lead through a well-worked move. Chris Fusaro linked well with Horne to set Seymour free and he scored under the posts. Horne put over the conversion.

Four minutes later, Horne knocked over a penalty to increase the lead before a kick from the boot of Martin Banks got Benetton off the mark.

The tenacity of Harley, when he kept going with two men hanging on to him as he dived over the line, resulted in Glasgow’s second try after 25 minutes.

The conversion from Horne was followed three minutes later by another Banks penalty and the score was cut to 17-6.

Benetton weren’t out of it and laid siege to the Glasgow line for the last five minutes of the half.

The home defence held firm until indiscipline at the breakdown allowed Banks to put over his third penalty with the visitors only eight behind at half-time.

Seven minutes into the second half, Benetton winger Angelo Esposito picked up a needless yellow card. He blatantly pushed Glasgow captain Ryan Wilson in front of referee Dan Jones who had no choice but to send him to the sin bin for ten minutes.

A Horne penalty two minutes later made the Italians pay for their indiscipline.

And there was a huge roar to welcome Fraser Brown on to the park in place of Pat MacArthur in his first game of the season following ankle surgery.

With Esposito still off the park, Glasgow ran in their third try through Horne in 53 minutes as he brushed past two tackles to score in front of the posts and make his conversion easy.

Now well behind, rather than take a simple penalty Benetton kicked to the corner and were rewarded for their ambition. Marco Fuser took the ball at the line-out and from the drive replacement Marco Lazzaroni crashed over after 57 minutes.

There was another huge cheer as returning hero Niko Matawalu took the field in place of Lee Jones in his first match at Scotstoun since he rejoined the club last month after two years in English rugby.

With 12 minutes to go, the Italians hit back with replacement Federico Ruzza going over for a try converted by Banks.

Three minutes later, Brandon Thomson looked to have settled any thoughts of a comeback from the visitors with a penalty.

Glasgow were desperate to get the fourth try to secure the bonus point and laid siege to the Benetton try-line near the end.

And in the last minute, the bonus point was secured thanks to a Johnston try converted by Thomson.