Zebre v Glasgow Warriors Saturday 2nd March

Zebre v Glasgow Warriors
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Parma
Italy

KO 18.15 local (17.15 GMT)

Live on Premier Sports

So another break week in the 6N, should provide some slightly stronger teams to take the field, with a few fringe internationalists being returned to their clubs to get some game time.

Glasgow look like they are starting to build some form again and have come through two tricky ties against Cardiff and Connacht with flying colours and a full set of points. They look like they are on a bit of a roll again and Zebre, in theory, should be the easist of this block of games. The lessons of Southern Kings will hopefully have been well learnt and we will not be taking this fixture lightly. We need to win pretty much all of our games from here on in, or the home semi final may well slip away to the men in red.

I think we might see a team a bit like this:

1. Keeble
2. Turner
3. Fagerson Z - he needs a bit more game time to get right up to speed
4. Cummings
5. Swinson
6. Harley
7. Fusaro
8. Fagerson M
9. Horne G
10. Thompson - though he could pick Hastings if he thinks Finn will be fit next weekend
11. Niko
12. McDowell
13. Kelly (if fit) - Grigg could possibly come back in if released, Fergusson who was on standby, has gone off to play sevens, so there is a plan
14. Steyn - taking his opportunity well
15. Jacko

bench

Bhatti
Stewart
Nuke/Rae/Nicol - depending on who is fit and available
Ashe
Gordon - has done well on his appearences
Frisbee
Hughes
Nairn

Paddy Kelly went off with a HIA last weekend, so may or may not be fit. Niko had an ankle packed in ice as well, but he could easily be replaced by one of the other wingers on the bench. If Kelly not fit and Grigg not released, then presumalby Steyn would go into the centre, which is where he ended up last weekend. Jacko may end up covering FH from FB.

However it pans out, we should go out there with a pretty strong side and you would imagine that 5 points is available unless we aim the gun at the foot again!

Glasgow put up some pictures of training in the sun yesterday.

Hastings was out there, so expect him to be playing.

Callum Gibben also out there running around, so must be very close to a come back.

Zebre's results have been awful recently. Last week they got pumped 54-7 by Ulster, the week before 24-40 to Leinster and then 61-28 by Cheetahs. In three games they've conceded 155 points but scored 59 so they've at least been scoring a few conciliation tries. Naturally we want a) a win b) a bonus point, but I'd also like to see a reaction in defence as we've let in far too many soft scores recently and we're coming into the business end of the season.

In the 10 jersey, completely understand if he picks Hastings as he could use some gametime but I'd like to see Thomson start again. He's been excellent recently and I really rate the guy.

I hope that Nicol starts to pick up a few starts here and there in this period, he came on last week and was very good - as we all know, Scotland need a few quality TH's coming through. He also looks absolutely massive, which is a bonus.

Can't see Fagerson not starting at TH

There was a picture of both brothers in training with the Warriors this morning. They both need game time.

Zander may get pulled early though so expect the bench TH to get a good 30 mins

Ruairdh Jackson will play his 150th game for Glasgow Warriors against Zebre in Italy tomorrow.

The 31-year-old made his Warriors debut in 2008 and re-joined the club in 2017 following a spell in the English Premiership.

He becomes the 12th player to reach the milestone. Ryan Wilson, Chris Fusaro and Pete Horne have also played their 150th games for Glasgow Warriors this season.

Robbie Nairn scored a brace of tries against Connacht last weekend and is rewarded with a place in the starting line-up this Saturday joining Jackson in the back three. Rory Hughes starts on the opposite wing.

Kyle Steyn shifts from wing to centre to partner Stafford McDowall. Adam Hastings returns from Scotland duty to start at fly-half with Nick Frisby inside of him.

Zander Fagerson also returns from international duty and starts alongside Oli Kebble and George Turner in the front-row.

Matt Fagerson is brought into the starting XV and he packs down with the experience of Rob Harley and Chris Fusaro either side of him.

In front of them, Tim Swinson and Scott Cummings continue their second-row partnership.

On the bench, Alex Allan makes it three players involved who also played for Scotland in Paris last Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Dave Rennie, said: “It’s a great occasion for Jacko and his family. His contribution since re-joining can’t be praised enough and he’s a hugely popular member of the group. Hopefully we can get a result to mark the occasion for him.

“We were pleased to get the win against Connacht and did some things really well on the night. The challenge now is to improve on that and we’re going to need to as trips to Italy are extremely challenging as we learned in January.”

Glasgow Warriors team to play Zebre in the Guinness PRO14, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Saturday 2 March, kick-off 6.15pm local time (5.15pm GMT), live on FreeSports. You can follow the game on Twitter @GlasgowWarriors. Glasgow Warriors appearances in brackets:

1. Oli Kebble (26)
2. George Turner (33)
3. Zander Fagerson (73)
4. Tim Swinson (124)
5. Scott Cummings (51)
6. Rob Harley (204)
7. Chris Fusaro (159) CAPTAIN
8. Matt Fagerson (40)

9. Nick Frisby (11)
10. Adam Hastings (24)
11. Rory Hughes (42)
12. Stafford McDowall (10)
13. Kyle Steyn (2)
14. Robbie Nairn (5)
15. Ruaridh Jackson (149)

Replacements

16. Grant Stewart (18)
17. Alex Allan (87)
18. D’Arcy Rae (58)
19. Bruce Flockhart (1)
20. Adam Ashe (68)
21. Niko Matawalu (109)
22. Brandon Thomson (19)
23. Paddy Kelly (4)

Unavailable players: Siua Halalnukonuka (head), George Horne (shoulder), Callum Gibbins (ankle/knee), Stuart Hogg (shoulder), Huw Jones (knee), Lee Jones (knee), Lelia Masaga (illness), Matt Smith (shoulder), DTH van der Merwe (shoulder), Ryan Wilson (knee).

Fraser Brown, Jonny Gray, Nick Grigg, Pete Horne, Sam Johnson, Ali Price, Tommy Seymour (all Scotland). Tevita Tameilau (USA).

Pretty decent team out for Glasgow, about the only disappointment is that George Horne seems to have gotten injured again and is not playing.

Both Fagersons
Turner
Hastings

all starting and putting in a petition for a place in the Scotland team/squad for next week.

I think only Hastings has a chance of challenging for a place for Scotland, maybe Z.Fagerson.

Nel is back for Edinburgh so is likely to take the starting berth for Scotland, Berghan wasn't released back to Edinburgh so suggests he's likely to bench against Wales.

Turner has shown improvement this season, but is still behind Rambo and Brown for hooker.
M.Fagerson, is probably too far down the pecking order currently for this game to make much of a difference, plus with Watson back the places available in the BR are decreasing. He's got plenty of time though and hopefully he pushes on as we could do with an 8 going forward

EWT Spoons wrote:I think only Hastings has a chance of challenging for a place for Scotland, maybe Z.Fagerson.

Nel is back for Edinburgh so is likely to take the starting berth for Scotland, Berghan wasn't released back to Edinburgh so suggests he's likely to bench against Wales.

Turner has shown improvement this season, but is still behind Rambo and Brown for hooker.
M.Fagerson, is probably too far down the pecking order currently for this game to make much of a difference, plus with Watson back the places available in the BR are decreasing.  He's got plenty of time though and hopefully he pushes on as we could do with an 8 going forward

Yeah, that probably is the most likely scenario.

I think they could all come into the wider squad, Matt Fagerson may take Ashe's place.

Hastings could be anywhere from starting to missing out, depending on how he plays and what happens with Finn this weekend.

I think Toonie's preferred TH props are Nel and Zander, but both have got to get up to speed again, so how they play this weekend may well determine who plays next week.

Good opportunity for Hastings to stretch his legs a little bit, but at the risk of repeating myself Brandon Thomson has been excellent for his for the last few weeks and I really rate the guy. Chuffed he’s signed on for another couple of years. It really wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he ends up getting the starting 10 jersey to close the season out particularly if Haircut continues to struggle.

The most heartening thing I heard recently was DR on Warriors TV (I think; the tv channel, it was definitely DR). He said, and I paraphrase, that Glasgow are in a much better place than they were at this time last year when they had sewn up a home semi and were out of Europe. I take that as a tacit admission that , collectively, they took their eye of the ball and then were way off the pace when Scarlet's turned us over. This year, players will be competing for a place in a euro QF and hopefully beyond, and unless performances are top notch we won't be at home in the play offs.


So not quite a public mea culpa mea maxima culpa from DR but almost.

Right now we should see a Scottish side show how to win to win in Italy!

there is a huge puddle in the bottom corner of the pitch. Legend has it that during the warm up, Stafford McDowell was walking over it

Glasgow scrum murdering them on the first two

TMO call for a try

No try back for another scrum penalty

Matt Fagerson scores off another very dominant scrum

7-3 Glasgow

Looks like it might be a long afternoon for the Zebre scrum

Hmmmm not sure about that at all.

Rather cheeky

Fusaro runs one in from 60m, no one clear him out of the ruck!

Hastings kicks the conversion from the touchline off the post

14-3 Glasgow

Oh dear. Now he’s scoring tries. Whatever will he do next?

McDowell walks over from short range, swatting off a couple of tackles. He is a big powerful lad

21-3 Glasgow

Bonus point already. Get all the Scotland players off now

and Jacko goes over for the BP try on his 150th appearance

This game might be good for our points difference, which could be significant come the end of the season

Zebre really are pish

And BigGee is really slow at posting

and another one

Matt Fagerson strolls over. This is compelling stuff

35-3 Glasgow

Can McDowell play no 8?

tigertattie wrote:Can McDowell play no 8?

As did Richie Vernon, he can play anywhere!

HT, have to say that looked like a training ground exercise for Glasgow.

Hope they can maintain their focus for the full 80 mins

The question which is running through my mind, having suffered the Luvvies match before this is...why do we keep losing to the Luvvies?

Oh, and why does Schiz get on TV every time Glasgow play in Italy?

Was schitz the one in the short sleeves?

All the zerbe fans are wrapped up with scarves and all

Well that’s Zebre stuffed now

Well BP win and Munster lose.

Today did not go to badly, unless you support Edinburgh!

We won the moral victory though

I did not realise you had some Welsh blood!

We let scarlets beat Munster to let you guys go top