Glasgow Warriors produced their best performance of the season when it mattered most to them to earn the opportunity they have longed for, to play in the first major rugby final to be staged in their home city by blasting aside Ulster’s challenge at Scotstoun last night.

The match was going to be the last in his present team’s colours for one or other talisman with Stuart Hogg leaving Glasgow at the end of the season and Rory Best set to retire after the World Cup, but from the earliest moments it was clear that it was the Ireland captain’s season that was coming to an end.

The tone was set from the opening kick off as the ball fell their way and Scott Cummings released Kyle Steyn, one of those who had the added incentive of having been told he was in contention for a place in Scotland’s World Cup training squad.

The centre accelerated away to take play from midway inside his own half to midway inside Ulster’s and moments later, with Ulster struggling to get their defence aligned, Adam Hastings realised there was room for Tommy Seymour, found him with a lofted miss pass and the British & Irish Lions winger finished in typical style, his stand off expertly adding the extra points from the touchline.

Glasgow were playing at a frenzied pace and took full control after Rob Harley, another of those who had been told he remained in with a chance of World Cup selection, did the hard work to set up the chance as he got onto the ball to earn a penalty at a ruck just inside his own half.

Hastings knocked the ball into the 22 and after the initial drive was stopped eight metres out, Price realised there was a mismatch on the blindside and darted past Lions lock Iain Henderson, his half-back partner Hastings again converting well.

Glasgow briefly established a three score lead, taking advantage of a scrummage penalty 30 metres out in front of the points, but at the re-start Harley was penalised for blocking Jacob Stockdale’s pursuit of the ball and John Cooney got his side on the scoreboard from similar range to the Hastings strike he was nullifying.

The home side’s domination of the first half got its proper reward with its last meaningful action as they took advantage of possession at a close range scrum to pound at the line before the ever willing Harley spotted room between two defenders to ploughed over so close to posts that the conversion was unmissable.

Trailing 24 – 3, Ulster needed a fast start to the second period to have any chance and, a minute into it, Stockdale looked to have put Ludik clear, only to be adjudged to have done so with a forward pass.

Stockdale was then denied again when the Ireland winger had the ball stripped from him in a tackle by Steyn just a few metres from the Glasgow line.

That was their last chance to gain any sort of foothold in the game and the result was secured once and for all with another clinical Glasgow finish 54 minutes into the game when, after they had stretched the defence to the left, they brought play to the right wing where Sam Johnson put Hogg into space and he got in behind the defensive line, drawing defenders to him before he put Seymour in for his second try.

With the pressure off it was time to turn on the style and they duly did so with an exhibition score, Hastings launching an attack from his own 22 by chipping the ball over the defensive line, Hogg catching it, then finding support from Steyn who twice exchanged passes with Ryan Wilson, before claiming his side’s fifth try.

Ulster finally claimed their first try after again making ground with a lineout drive before the ball was worked to Marcell Coetzee on the blindside and he plunged into the corner, but with more than an hour gone the unconverted score was an irrelevance and Best’s Ulster career ended immediately afterwards as he left the field to an ovation from both sets of supporters.

Glasgow subsequently demonstrated their strength in depth as the Hornes combined for another showboating score, George taking the ball out of a maul five metre out and, in well-rehearsed fashion, lobbing it beyond the try line where older brother Pete raced onto it and touched down.

Best’s replacement Rob Herring then capitalised on another lineout drive and his full-back Michael Lowry was to score the last of the game’s 10 tries in the dying seconds, but in between times Glasgow brought up their half century in appropriate fashion, Pete Horne brilliantly releasing Seymour on the left and, after the winger took play deep into the 22, Hastings made a half break to find George Horne running a typically clever angle to be on his shoulder to take the scoring pass.