Pro12: Glasgow Warriors ran in eight tries as they romped to a 54-10 win over Zebre
Last Updated: 15/02/15 6:42pm
Glasgow Warriors have charged to the top of the Guinness Pro12 table after a thumping 54-10 victory over Zebre in Italy.
The Warriors marked Alastair Kellock’s 150th appearance for the team by running in eight tries in total and went above Munster in the standings ahead of next week’s massive game with Ospreys at Scotstoun.
But Zebre are bottom of the standings after they were defeated for the eighth time in their last nine matches.
Peter Horne scored a pair of tries and kicked 10 points for the visitors, and the fly-half scored the first points of the day after just three minutes.
Horne took a quick tap penalty and dived over the line after spotting a gap in the Zebre defences before adding the conversion himself.
The hosts then got on the scoreboard when Luciano Orquera kicked a penalty but Glasgow scored again after 15 minutes, debutant Fraser Lyle almost pulling off an interception before DTH van der Merwe grabbed the loose ball and raced through to score.
Zebre responded with their only try of the match, Filippo Cristiano touching down after charging down a Horne kick.
But Glasgow exploited some poor defending to score their third try just two minutes later, Horne popping the ball up to Peter Murchie, who scored under the posts.
Warriors then lost Alex Allan to the sin-bin for repeatedly coming in from the side but they were undeterred and added two more tries before the half-time interval.
Horne plunged over in the corner after a sustained attack two minutes before the break and then Tim Swinson barged his way under the posts.
It was 33-10 at half-time and the second half was not as free-flowing as the first, Glasgow having already secured a bonus point.
They also had their momentum stalled when Niko Matawalu was sent to the bin for an intentional knock-on.
However, the visitors did finish with a real flourish, running in three tries in the last 16 minutes.
Lyle made an assured debut at centre and he was rewarded with a try, diving over under the posts after Van der Merwe had finally been halted following a brilliant run.
Zebre then found their numbers reduced to 14 when Giulio Toniolatti was yellow carded for stamping.
And Glasgow took full advantage, fine interplay among the backs creating a second try of the afternoon for Murchie before Will Bordill grabbed his first try for the club two minutes from the final whistle and brought up the half century.
