You cannot beat Friday night lights. There’s something about it. The floodlights, the crowd, the sense of anticipation. It’s a Glasgow thing - and last Friday night was a good one for the Warriors.
It wasn’t a classic performance - it wasn’t a great game - but Glasgow didn’t need to be at their best to beat a Zebre side who looked dangerous in the first few minutes then faded as Glasgow prepared for a fortnight in South Africa.
Zebre poured everything they had into the opening 10 minutes, taking the game to Glasgow, but there was never any great threat to the try line.
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Glasgow weathered the early pressure and it was a case of new season, same result as the first score came from ‘death, taxes and Johnny Matthews’ and his signature move, the rolling maul.
They took that momentum and just minutes later, they were two tries to the good as Dobie crossed in the corner following sustained pressure on the Zebre line.
The Italians managed to get three points from a penalty but that was the end of their scoring for the night and not even 30 minutes were on the clock.
Try number three came for Glasgow when another period of sustained pressure saw the Warriors chip away at the line and as it looked like Zander was going to cross the whitewash, he was stopped but the quick ball to Huw Jones saw the centre step his man and get over. It was game over by half-time.
But it took Glasgow twelve minutes into the second half before the bonus point victory was secured.
A nice offload from Scott Cummings found Jones in space and on a lovely line and he crossed to secure all five points. On the hour mark, Glasgow wrapped up their scoring for the night when another rolling maul rumbled over the line but with Johnny off the pitch, it was Grant Stewart who got the score.
From there on it was a case of closing out the game with as few problems as possible. With only Euan Ferrie being removed from the game due to injury, it looks like Glasgow came through relatively unscathed.
Franco was able to rest a good number of players, with Matt Fagerson and Sione Tuipulotu in the clubhouse before the game and another of others floating around the touchline and the back of the stands.
The team look in a good place at the moment. This victory was completed without Glasgow having to get out of third gear. Unspectacular, but solid. Glasgow never looked like conceding a try and that will please the coaches no end.
Franco has a hungry squad on his hands at the moment and it just seems that no matter who comes in, they want to do a job and challenge for the places.
Take Jamie Dobie for example. He may not be a natural winger, but asked to play there he gives it everything and he often gets himself in good positions or on the scoresheet.
Henco Venter had to settle for a place on the bench but when he comes on he uses his power, physicality and intelligence and doesn’t weaken the side any.
Facundo Cordero has come in the last fortnight and done well in what has been a stop-start Scotstoun career.
On Friday night we saw Grant Stewart come off the bench and he’s scoring. It’s the best possible headache that Franco could hope for.
It is extremely satisfying at the moment is that Glasgow have the ability at the moment to rotate or rest players, and still get the victory.
That’s going to be put to the test in the next fortnight in South Africa. The Sharks and the Stormers will be incredibly tough opposition but there is some hope to be taken from their current form.
The Sharks were comprehensively defeated by Benetton away from home and only claimed victory by the narrowest of margins against the Dragons and the Stormers come of an absolute hammering at the hands of Edinburgh.
But we know that these sides are very different animals when on their own turf.
The hard pitches and the heat can make life very difficult for travelling sides but Glasgow have proven that they can get victory in the Rainbow Nation and they only have to look at what they did to the Bulls to provide inspiration.
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I’d expect we will see captain Kyle Steyn, the Warriors' Player of the Month, make a return and probably Richie Gray, in addition to those rested on Friday night.
Both games will be extremely tough, and it will be interesting to see who, if any, of the opponents' Springbok contingent return for the game because they have real fire and star power in that side if they do.
When you rhyme off names like Etzebeth, Kolisi, Mbonambi, Mapimpi, Kitshoff, Malherbe and Libbok, it’s a who’s who of the last few years of South African rugby.
And there are so many other players that can hurt you from all sides.
Glasgow have to be streetwise and play smart rugby. It’s something they did in the final, it’s something this group of players is more than capable of doing. It’s about coming away from the games with as many points as possible, even in defeat if it comes to it.
If the Warriors are looking for inspiration they could look no further than the man who was sat three rows in front of me on Friday. Big Rob Harley was in the crowd and I still have memories of his winning try against the Cheetahs back in 2017!
Reports are abound about Alex Craig replacing Richie Gray in the engine room and that would be a good move for the Warriors.
Franco has the team recovered from the defeat to Ulster and looking dangerous.
Let’s hope that this trip to the South Hemisphere doesn’t derail that progress.
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