Glasgow Warriors went soaring to the top of the Guinness PRO12 with a record ninth win in a row and a ten-try record scoreline over hapless Zebre at Scotstoun.
With Connacht losing in Treviso and Leinster playing later today, the Warriors needed only a win to go top but they got a whole lot more than that with records tumbling throughout an incredible second half.
Leone Nakarawa scored a hat-trick in his final regular season game at Scotstoun, Glenn Bryce had a first-half brace and Taqele Naiyaravoro and Duncan Weir, two more leaving the club in the summer, also scored tries. Adam Ashe, Greg Peterson and Ali Price had the other scores.
Ten tries is a club record, as is 70 points and nine straight wins while Weir kicked all ten conversions to complete the sweep of milestones.
Zebre were woeful, but a much changed Warriors team were able to keep the momentum flying ahead of the final game against Connacht at Galway next week, where only a draw will likely secure a play-off semi-final back at Scotstoun.
Head coach Gregor Townsend said the second half romp was “good in almost all aspects” after a first half performance that had “elements of good and bad”.
“I think the players who are leaving, you could see their focus was on having a big game to show how much this club means to them, and they all were outstanding.
“I was particularly pleased for Duncan Weir, ten out of ten is something you don’t see very often. Edinburgh are getting a very good 10 next year.”
Glasgow appeared in a hurry to reach their bonus target early on with some ill-advised off loads in their own half, but the master of the art produced the try that settled them down.
On their first attack Nakarawa took a pass from Grayson Hart with two defenders on him but he swatted both aside and sauntered over for the opening try, Weir converting.
Almost immediately poor defence by Naiyaravoro allowed wing Kayne Van Zyl to cut inside to score an unconverted try for Zebre, but bad tackling was infectious all through the first half.
Glasgow’s attacking off-loading started to get into gear and there was a super combination between Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Hart and finally Ashe for the second try on 25 minutes.
That started the tidal wave, and three more tries and the bonus came in the next six minutes. Bryce bagged a pair with some strong running either side of Naiyaravoro taking advantage of a neat Weir grubber to thunder down the touchline and over the line in trademark style.
Weir kicked all five conversions from all angles, but the home side’s occasional defensive fraility showed again when Tomasso Boni beat Naiyaravoro too easily to score a second unconverted try for Zebre right on half-time.
The second half was almost a procession, Nakarawa scoring twice within 10 minutes of the restart to huge acclaim from the sellout Scotstoun crowd, both times again going through paper-thin tackles to gallop over.
The Fijian lock could have had a fourth try in 64 minutes but unselfishly off-loaded to second row partner Greg Peterson to score from close range.
Straight from the kick-off the ball was batted back into the arms of replacement scrum-half Ali Price who scampered 75 yards at pace for a solo try.
In the dying moments the Scostoun crowd got what they’d wanted all evening when Mark Bennett sliced through at pace and behind the posts, giving the gift of an easy try on his final appearance to Weir, who stayed at 100 per cent with the conversion.
Att 6800
Glasgow: G Bryce; T Naiyaravoro, M Bennet, A Dunbar, S Lamont; D Weir (F Russell 76), G Hart (A Price 52); J Yanuyanutawa (G Reid 68), P MacArthur, D Rae (Z Fagerson 58); G Peterson (T Swinson 65), L Nakarawa (R Wilson 78); R Harley (capt), S Favaro, A Ashe.
Zebre: U Beyers; G Toniolatti G Palazzani 52), T Boni, G Garcia (G Bisegni 14), K Van Zyl; C Canna (K Haimona 78), L Burgess; A De Marchi, O Fabiani (E Coria 71), D Chistolini (P Ceccarelli 46); Q Gledenhuys, M Bortolami; E Caffini (A Van Schalkwyk 38), F Cristiano, F Ruzza (G Koegelenberg 58).
Ref: A Brace (IRFU)
