Glasgow v Zebre, 10 February

At Stadio XXV Aprile , 3.05pm local time (2.05pm UK & Ireland)
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU, 19th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini, Stefano Marrama
Citing Commissioner: Maurizio Vancini (FIR)
TMO: Mauro Dordolo (FIR)

Live on Sportitalia and BBC ALBA

Glasgow :

15 Peter Murchie
14 Rory Lamont
13 Alex Dunbar
12 Graeme Morrison
11 Byron McGuigan
10 Scott Wight
9 Niko Matawalu

8 Ryan Wilson (c)
7 John Barclay
6 Josh Strauss
5 Tim Swinson
4 Tom Ryder
3 Jon Welsh
2 Gerwyn Price
1 Gordon Reid

16 Fraser Brown
17 Ed Kalman
18 Ofa Fainga’anuku
19 Nick Campbell
20 James Eddie
21 Sean Kennedy
22 Finn Russell
23 Fraser Thomson

Not considered for selection due to injury:
Mike Cusack (shoulder), Chris Cusiter(shoulder),Chris Fusaro (groin), Finlay Gillies (neck), Angus MacDonald (neck), Tommy Seymour (ill), DTH Van Der Merwe (head).

Zebre :

15 Tito Tebaldi,
14 Andrea Bacchetti,
13 Roberto Quartaroli,
12 Matteo Pratichetti,
11 Alessandro Castagnoli,
10 Daniel Halangahu,
9 Alberto Chillon,
8 Dries van Schalkwyk,
7 Mauro Bergamasco (capt),
6 Filippo Cristiano,
5 Josh Sole,
4 Michael van Vuren,
3 David Ryan,
2 Andrea Manici,
1 Matias Aguero

Replacements:
16 Carlo Festuccia,
17 Salvatore Perugini,
18 Luca Redolfini,
19 Marco Bortolami,
20 Emiliano Caffini,
21 Filippo Ferrarini,
22 Alberto Chiesa,
23 Alberto Benettin

Waffle:

Zebre gained a first ever European Cup point last time out in losing 20-25 to Connacht in Galway.

The new franchise have just six league points in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season - five losing bonus points and one try bonus gained against table topping Ulster in Parma in the rearranged round four match.

Glasgow Warriors have won their last three PRO12 fixtures and have been victorious in their last half a dozen games against Italian opponents since losing 13-15 to Treviso at Firhill on 23 September 2011. The Warriors' only reversal in Italy since 1998 remains the 16-19 defeat in Treviso on 16 April 2011.

Glasgow won the round five encounter with Zebre, 22-19, at Scotstoun.

Decent enough team considering we have 24 players missing.

Great to see John Barclay back, and McGuigan aside, that looks a strong starting XV for me. Happy to see the likes of Campbell, Kennedy and Russell gain valuable experience too

That really is some pack to have during the international period, particularly the locks and back row.

Morrison, Dunbar and Lamont give Matawalu and Wight plenty of good ball carriers in the backs, so the pack should have good targets to work with, and Murchie has shown good form this season from 15.

I'd like to see Campbell and Kennedy get some good game time off the bench as well, perhaps moving Matawalu to the wing in place of McGuigan at some stage.

Glasgow really ought to be getting a bonus point win here, assuming the conditions aren't a blizzard.

Bloody hell- that 15 could beat the Scotland 15

Zebre are missing loads of players to Italy.

But last time during the Autum internationals, with Zebre missing a load of players(Ulster missing less), I thought Ulster would walk it, however Ulster were lucky to leave with a win and Zebre got a try bonus point!

Zebre could well be very dangerous if past form at home when Internationals are gone. (think it must be th eacamady players trying to prove they are worth a professional contract or being kept on a year, and only really have these games to prove it).

Not being rude, but are Zebre missing that much? The way they get spoken about on here, you'd get the impression that they wouldn't have many internationals. That's a genuine question by the way.

Anyway, I thought Glasgow were home and it was tomorrow, so was going to head to Scotstoun to see Gezzy make his debut at 2 as I'm there now. Gutted it's Sunday and then even worse in Italy. Hope he goes well.

Rev, here's the Italian XXIII:

Lorenzo CITTADINI (Benetton Treviso, 17 caps)
Alberto DE MARCHI (Benetton Treviso, 5 caps)
Andrea LO CICERO (Racing-Metro Paris, 99 caps)
Martin Castrogiovanni (Leiscester Tigers)
Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Benetton Treviso, 49 caps)
Davide GIAZZON (Zebre Rugby, 6 caps)
Quintin GELDENHUYS (Zebre Rugby, 34 caps)
Francesco MINTO (Benetton Treviso, 3 caps)
Antonio PAVANELLO (Benetton Treviso, 14 caps)
Paul Edward DERBYSHIRE (Benetton Treviso, 17 caps)
Simone FAVARO (Benetton Treviso, 17 caps)*
Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 92 caps) – capitano
Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Treviso, 70 caps)
Tobias BOTES (Benetton Treviso, 9 caps)
Edoardo GORI (Benetton Treviso, 20 caps)*
Kristopher BURTON (Benetton Treviso, 19 caps)
Luciano ORQUERA (Zebre Rugby, 30 caps)
Tommaso BENVENUTI (Benetton Treviso, 24 caps)*
Gonzalo CANALE (La Rochelle, 78 caps)
Gonzalo GARCIA (Zebre Rugby, 25 caps)
Andrea MASI (London Wasps, 73 caps)
Luke MCLEAN (Benetton Treviso, 42 caps)
Giovanbattista VENDITTI (Zebre Rugby, 10 caps)*

Half a dozen Zebre lads missing there

There we are then. Cheers As.

Juventus to run the first win of the season, the Warriors are a tough customer and arivano in Parma from their second position. It 'also true that the Scots have the pink sacked by the then national tripping is not science fiction but the XV Gajan has to make a great game.
And the Frenchman has announced the lineup: the good news comes off the bench, where for the first time sit Marco Bortolami, the captain will still Mauro Bergamasco.
Not yet available for the call, but in recovery efforts for the next two weeks and trocar Sinoti Sarto. Tebaldi was confirmed to extreme while the wide triangle is completed by the two players in the league permit Excellence: Castagnoli (second appearance for the wing with tesserata Rugby Reggio) and Bacchetti. PRO12 debut ever in the wing with tesserata Rovigo Rugby Rovigo Delta. Confirmed the pair of centers formed by Quartaroli and Pratichetti, median confidence in the duo of Chillon and the Australian Halangahu.
In the department of before the first line is assigned to the hooker parmesan handles, her hips act Aguero and Ryan. In the second line will act as the Sun and Van Vuren pack will be completed by the third line formed by the captain Bergamasco - for the second time in Padua - and the return from injury of the other Christian flanker and number eight South African Van Schalkwyk.



15 Tito TEBALDI

14 Andrea BACCHETTI

13 Roberto Quartaroli *

12 Matthew Pratichetti

11 Alessandro CASTAGNOLI

10 Daniel HALANGAHU

9 Alberto Chillon *

8 Dries van Schalkwyk

7 Mauro Bergamasco (cap)

6 Philip CHRISTIAN

5 Josh SUN

4 Michael VAN VUREN

3 David RYAN

2 Andrea HANDLES *

1 Matias AGUERO



To dispose of a

16 Carlo Festuccia

17 Salvatore PERUGINI

18 Luke REDOLFINI

19 Marco BORTOLAMI

20 Emiliano CAFFINI *

21 Philip FERRARINI *

22 Alberto CHURCH *

23 Alberto Benettin *

Gus MacDonald has announced his retirement from rugby due to a serious neck injury.

http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/5265-angus-macdonald-retires-from-rugby

That's a real shame, UiG, gave the backrow some excellent depth

Indeed, and a decent guy too! Such is the life of a pro rugby player, one injury can end a career!

Real shame for Gus. I thought he looked a good signing for us but was rather overshadowed by Strauss and Maitland signings later on when he was out injured.
Wish him all the best in his future.

C'mon Warriors give us some points - we need them after results last night !

C21st, superb result for the U20s down at Netherdale - and MOTM was ...

















... Yup, you guessed it, the Messiah

U20s looked good - young Jonny Gray putting in another very good shift, I see.

Shocking start for Glasgow - McGuigan drops the kick off under no pressure. A couple of minutes later, Matawalu throws a flat miss pass that is picked off by the Zebre no8 who canters in from the half way line. Time to get the game day heid on, lads

Scott Wight - what were you thinking??! Really odd start to this game - Byron McGuigan scoring a try, whatever next!

10 mins 2 tries all bloody hell

Thats better - lets cool it guys

10 mins, 4 tries

at this rate theres going to be 32 tries scored after 80 mins!

Well at least there ought to be a bonus point for Glasgow in this - 2 tries already in 15 minutes!

Matawalu really is awesome.

17-17 Feels like 7s game so far

The Jedi ---yesssssssss

Great work, Warriors, TBP secured. Youngsters on now too - Sean Kennedy and Finn Russell

Finn Russell looks a find chaps

not watching the game, what position does finn russell play?

Nifty feet from big Campbell, and then later a great passage from Kennedy, Nikon, and Swinson, altho it's Murchie that dots down for try 5. Glasgow back into second place

Russell played IC for the U20s last year, is part of the EDP programme this season, and has mostly been at 10 for Ayr - he came on for Scott Wight here

Mori didn't half blooter that wee prop. Well played guys a good 5 pointer

ASBO,

how did the go yesterday ?

I'm afraid your second favourite team let us both down, when we had Sale away in our pockets - lapse if concentration :-(

Thanks so much for the updates, lads.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I'm afraid your second favourite team let us both down, when we had Sale away in our pockets - lapse if concentration :-(

Schieze mate. How is it looking for the Heino next year (this year - later natch !) ?

George,

a decent wee 5 pointer against the normal cheap shots from Bergamasco and co. Although Mori did exact some degree of retribution when he Tysoned their replacement prop. Even a scrap after the final whistle.

Matawalu MoM and as mad as a weasel in a sack ffs. Even Chris Fusaro who was doing the summarising (non-garlic) said when asked that he (Matawalu) does not know what he is doing - a Glasgow legend in the making, a new Bernie Stortoni !

It would appear Warriors and Scotland are the only team who played any rugby this weekend

How did Gezzy Price go?

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:George,

a decent wee 5 pointer against the normal cheap shots from Bergamasco and co. Although Mori did exact some degree of retribution when he Tysoned their replacement prop. Even a scrap after the final whistle.

Matawalu MoM and as mad as a weasel in a sack ffs. Even Chris Fusaro who was doing the summarising (non-garlic) said when asked that he (Matawalu) does not know what he is doing - a Glasgow legend in the making, a new Bernie Stortoni !

It would appear Warriors and Scotland are the only team who played any rugby this weekend

Good work feller.

Good steady game for Price.. He was learning the codes on the flight across apparently. Another good signing for us - thanks.

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I'm afraid your second favourite team let us both down, when we had Sale away in our pockets - lapse if concentration :-(

Schieze mate. How is it looking for the Heino next year (this year - later natch !) ?

Touch and go, blue

Risca Rev wrote:How did Gezzy Price go?

Played well for a first start, and can't have been easy learning an entire new code book for lineouts - solid

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:I'm afraid your second favourite team let us both down, when we had Sale away in our pockets - lapse if concentration :-(

Schieze mate. How is it looking for the Heino next year (this year - later natch !) ?

Touch and go, blue

Keep it up mate or as Gibbo would say - Believe !

Good to see Fraser Brown back in action too - nothing like an Embra reject made good in Glasgow - Kellock, Ryan Grant and now Brown

Please tell me that Rory got a full 80 in without tearing wrist ligaments tying his bootlaces.

Also - how was Barclay looking?

Excellent 5 points, some of our handling in the first 40 was atrocious, once we settled down in the 2nd there was always going to be one winner.

Niko was outstanding as per usual, playing well at 9 and then on the wing. Concern as has been the case all season is the easy breaks we allow, especially from simple pick and goes through the middle.

With 20+ players missing we will take that win (granted they were missing a few also). Barclay and Lamont both had quite(ish) games but will be better for the hour or so in their legs.

Wight cost a try and was replaced by Finn Russell with the game still on the line, can't see him staying next season.

Onto the Dragons next week, that will be a much harder job but even on a short week, having the likes of Weir, McArthur, Low, DTH, Seymour back should help.

Does anyone know whether the national squad is required to release these players to the regions?

Great to see John Welsh back, he is extremely strong so tighthead isn't a problem for him, i can see why he is preferred over Kalman who looked in trouble when he came on.

George Carlin wrote:Does anyone know whether the national squad is required to release these players to the regions?

They don't have to, but some teams inevitably will do (fringe squad members I expect).

Thanks for the info on Price lads. Mad about him learning calls on the plane. I'd forget them all.

Welsh did look very strong at 3, could be a better bet than Cross for the Ireland game as Murray won't be playing being a Sunday.
Rory Lamont lasted fine but I honestly don't see him playing for Scotland again, there are better options at fullback and wing now.
Matawalu is some player, he'll probably end up playing in France or England soon.

R Lamont was not his usual self - felt really sorry for him when he trudged off. Barclay also not his pre-injury pest either- he will come back though