Smith pleased to see his Warriors moving in the right direction

GLASGOW got their pre-season campaign up and running with an expected win over Zebre but the finish proved to be tighter than had looked likely at half-time.

That was partially down to head coach Franco Smith emptying his bench to give a number of academy graduates and Super Series prospects their first taste of top team action, plus the Italians showing plucky resolve not to throw in the towel despite trailing by 25 points at the turnaround. Glasgow have one final pre-season commitment away to Ulster next weekend before the competitive action gets underway, with Leinster providing the opposition for what will be a tough URC opener on October 22.

Smith never got to experience any pre-season action last summer with both games postponed but declared himself content with what unfolded at Scotstoun on this occasion, as a new-look side ground out the victory.

“We’re on course and there were some good signs that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said. “But we’re still three weeks away from the start of the season and there’s a lot of work still to be done. Zebre had already played four or five games before this one so had better match fitness than us at this stage. But this is a good start and I’m happy with the minutes the boys got under their belts. It was important to get our academy players involved to give them the chance to experience this environment.”

Summer recruits Henco Venter and Kyle Rowe were given a run-out in front of an expectant home crowd.

Zebre got on the board first, with Giovanni Montemauri knocking over an early penalty before Glasgow began to take over.

Captain for the night, Jamie Dobie, darted over for a try – Ross Thompson made the first of four conversions – as Warriors belatedly got into something of a rhythm. Dobie directed the second try, going left from the maul, with the ball passing through the hands of Ally Miller and Facundo Cordero before arriving at Rowe who scooted over the line to embroider his home debut with his first score of the night. Sebastian Cancelliere landed their third try of the evening after making a burst from just outside the Zebre 22 before scoring in the corner. The two debutants then combined, Venter finding Rowe and the former London Irish wing sped over the line for Glasgow’s fourth try of a fairly one-sided first half.

Warriors, though, had started the opening period slowly and paid the price for doing likewise after the interval as Zebre cut them open to set up Jacopo Trulla for a fine score.

Smith turned to his bench at that point – making five changes – and before the new line-up could properly settle, Trulla was running in his and his team’s second score of the night.

There was a special moment for Luca Bardelli as he ran in Warriors’ fifth try before two converted Giovanni Quattrini scores set up a nervy conclusion. Glasgow, though, held on to send their fans home happy.