Nick Grigg’s first-half try double laid the platform for a phenomenal Glasgow Warriors fightback 47-17 win over Newport Gwent Dragons at Scotstoun.

Gregor Townsend’s side were winless in the Guinness PRO12 since beating Cardiff Blues on January 7 and with Sarel Pretorius massively influential in the first 20 minutes, Rynard Landman crashing over and Angus O’Brien kicking a penalty, Dragons looked good to continue that run.

But after Landman’s try on 23 minutes, Glasgow were irrepressible – scoring seven tries as Grigg and Peter Horne controlled the game and man of the match Brian Alainu’uese dominated in the carry.

Centre Grigg’s double kick-started the Glasgow revival, turning over the 10-0 deficit to lead 14-10 at half-time before Rory Hughes and debutant Ratu Tagive crossed within ten minutes of the turn.

Lee Jones scrambled over eight minutes later and then Scotland centre Mark Bennett and Horne added two further scores to wrap up a valuable maximum-points win, closing the gap on Ulster and Scarlets in the Guinness PRO12 standings.

It was a frenetic start, Sam Beard looked like cutting through early on, only for Pyrgos to pick off the pass and then watch his chip ricochet off the Dragons line.

Still, it was O’Brien who put Dragons ahead with a penalty after 14 minutes when Andrew Brace pinged Warriors at the breakdown.

After nearly 20 minutes at a breathless intensity at Scotstoun, Pat Howard looked to be in acres of space out wide only to inadvertently collide with full-back Tom Prydie who also had his eyes on the wide pass.

Pretorius and No. 8 Lewis Evans linked well from the base of a scrum deep in the Glasgow 22, Howard popping up off his wing and driving close to the line before Landman picked and went under the posts, his momentum carrying him over.

O’Brien converted for a 10-0 lead, but that seemed to stir Glasgow to life, a clever Bennett kick piling the pressure on Dragons before Grigg was stripped by Pretorius reaching for the line.

Grigg though made amends moments later, bursting through as the Warriors pressure took its toll, with Horne knocking over the conversion to pull Glasgow within three points after half an hour.

It was the powerful centre who then looked up and noticed lock Landman and prop Brok Harris in midfield and accelerated between the two tight forwards 30 metres out, leaving them both for dead and stepping inside the covering defence for a brilliant individual try.

With Horne’s conversion, Glasgow led 14-10 at the break and Hughes picked a plum line from first-phase ball to slice through Dragons’ defence and bundle over three minutes into the second period.

Scotland playmaker Horne made the simple conversion and seven minutes later his flat pass freed up Grigg to carve open the Dragons defence ten minutes into the half, laying the platform for Glasgow’s bonus-point try.

Grigg found an outside shoulder and race clear, passing inside to Corey Flynn who was caught just short, but when the ball was recycled and Horne had the presence of mind to spot Tagive unmarked out wide, dropping a cross-field kick into the winger’s path for a first Warriors try.

Townsend’s side did not have to wait too long for try number six, a quick tap from Pyrgos five metres out found Murchie and after a quick shimmy he hit Jones on a short line, who span through two challenges to cross for a converted try.

Olympic silver medallist Bennett was the next to capitalise on Grigg’s creative showing, picking an inside line off his centre partner and showing his superb pace to score under the posts, Horne again converting before grabbing the seventh and final try following a Brandon Thomson break late on.

Tyler Morgan scored a consolation score with the last play as Glasgow pushed for number eight.

Guinness PRO12 Final 2017, 27^th May, Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
Ticket Information: Fans can still avail of an exclusive number of €35 tickets. Book via www.ticketmaster.ie. Further information: www.pro12rugby.com/final