Glasgow Warriors 47-10 Zebre Parma

The fly-half also picked up BKT URC Player of the Match honours as the Warriors began 2026 in the ideal fashion, adding to a brace from Jamie Dobie and tries from Stafford McDowall, Seb Stephen, Gregor Hiddleston and Ollie Smith.

On a bitterly cold evening in Glasgow’s west end, it was the Warriors who struck for Scotstoun’s opening try of the New Year. A first venture into the Zebre 22 yielded the maximum reward, as a cleverly-worked lineout strike play saw Ben Afshar slip the inside pass to send McDowall charging over from close-range. Adam Hastings added the extras, and the hosts led 7-0 after 12 minutes.

The home side were now motoring, as they looked to cement their control over proceedings. They did just that as the game passed the 20-minute mark, crossing for their second try of the night. Seb Stephen’s industrious carry set up the field position for Franco Smith’s men, before Jare Oguntibeju and Hastings combined to put Smith through a gap. The full-back had too much pace for the cover defence, Hastings converting to take the score to 14-0.

Yet the visitors weren’t in the mood to lie down, replying in kind almost straight from the restart. Thomas Dominguez’s offload created the space for Martin Roger Farias to break through, the fly-half’s pass sending Giulio Bertaccini over the whitewash despite Smith’s best efforts. Farias would run out of time on the shot clock for the conversion, however, meaning Glasgow’s lead stood at nine points.

Glasgow were continuing to press with ball in hand, though, with Afshar dictating play well from scrum-half and Macenzzie Duncan amongst a cohort of Warriors eagerly carrying when presented with an opportunity. Jamie Dobie almost brought the Scotstoun faithful to their feet with five minutes left in the opening stanza, the winger only denied a spectacular solo effort by the bounce of the ball following a chip and chase.

A third try was coming, and it arrived with 90 seconds left in the half. Successive penalties saw the Zebre defence stretched to breaking point, and when the Glasgow maul got going, there was to be no denying the men in black. Stephen was the man to emerge with the ball, and whilst Hastings was off target for the first time on the night, the Warriors held a 19-5 lead going into the break.

Once more the visitors responded, however, hitting back with the first try of the second half with 48 minutes on the clock. Giovanni Quattrini was the man to guide the maul over the line just moments after coming onto the field, the conversion drifting wide to leave the scoreboard reading 19-10 in favour of the Warriors.

Yet with Weir entering the field to a standing ovation, the Warrior Nation were soon celebrating the four-try bonus-point in style. Swift hands in the back-line found Duncan Munn in space, the Loch Lomond product putting the grubber kick in behind and sending Dobie on the chase. The winger duly applied the finishing touch, winning the race and touching down despite the covering defence for the score. Weir added the extras to rapturous applause from the touchline, and the hosts held a 26-10 lead entering the final quarter.

With the bonus-point in the bag, the Warrior Nation now wanted yet more as the clocked ticked into the final stages. Afshar was denied what would have been a well-deserved score by the eagle eye of the Television Match Official, but with penalty advantage in hand, it proved to merely be a temporary setback. Hiddleston – on for Stephen at hooker – took full advantage as he steered the maul over for the score, Weir converting to take the score to 33-10.

It was then time for Weir’s roof-raising cameo, as the fly-half brought the Warrior Nation to its feet for one more time. McDowall’s ball over the top set Dobie haring towards the try-line, and when the winger had the task of drawing the full-back and sending the ball back inside, Weir was only too happy to apply the finish as he raced under the posts in front of the East Stand. With the noise at full volume, the boyhood Warrior converted his own try for one of the most popular scores ever seen at Scotstoun.

There was still time for one final try as the Warriors applied the coup de grace. McDowall was once again at the heart of things, bursting through straight from the restart before sending Dobie haring over for his second – and Glasgow’s seventh – try of the evening. Dan Lancaster made no mistake with the extras, the final whistle sounding soon after to bring down the curtain on a celebration of one of the club’s favourite sons.