Glasgow Warriors need old form back for Ulster test - Duncan Weir

Duncan Weir returned from a bicep injury to tackle the Ospreys

Glasgow Warriors must recapture the slick, high-octane rugby that eluded them in Friday's defeat to the Ospreys, says stand-off Duncan Weir.

The Scots face Ulster on Saturday with, at the very least, a victory required if they are to secure a second straight home Pro12 semi-final.

"We should just get back to the way Glasgow Warriors play," Weir told BBC Scotland.

"When we did string the phases together we were causing the Ospreys problems."

Scotland international Weir, 24, made his first start since December in rain-soaked Swansea, his recovery from a bicep injury sustained during the first 1872 Cup derby against Edinburgh complete.

"Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of ball to attack with, but I made 11 tackles, which is quite high for a stand-off," he reflected.

"We got outplayed in wet weather situations. We didn't really exit our own half the way we wanted to, and the Ospreys put a huge amount of pressure on us because we were coughing the ball up in cheap circumstances, and they were living off our scraps in our own third.

Weir remains assured under the pressure of a record Scotstoun crowd

"They were kicking easy points, or even just pinging the ball back after a simple knock on and we were exiting off our own five-metre line time and time again. We're probably renowned for a high-tempo offloading game, but when you don't get the basics right and the fundamentals from the set-piece it's going to be hard to live off anything."

The Warriors, regardless of the outcome, are assured a place in the league's last four. But the prospect of a top-two finish and home advantage for the impending semi-final evokes memories of Glasgow's 16-15 triumph over Munster at this stage a year ago.

"You're probably going into your first game a wee bit on edge," he stated. "It's an upper limb injury and you're swinging it about and going head-first into challenges, knowing myself at 10 anyway.

"After that first game it's just about getting that learning back and that game management, and controlling the game from 10, getting those wee checklists ticking over again, and making sure I'm doing the simple things, and making the right decisions."

Though admitting to a dose of additional pre-match nerves on his full return to action, Glaswegian Weir speaks with confidence of the task that lies ahead this weekend, before a record 10,000 Scotstoun crowd.

He said: "I enjoy (the big occasions) - the only pressure is getting people tickets really! They all come flooding through on the text messages for the big occasions.

Glasgow Warriors triumphed over Munster at Scotstoun in last season's semi-final

"When we first joined, Scotstoun was probably an athletics track with a rugby pitch in the middle of it. Now it's purpose built for rugby.

"This was the same arrangement as the home semi-final last season. We obviously have that in the back of our minds - that's an extra wee bit of drive and focus for the guys to make sure we get the win.

"We've had the most season ticket sales we've ever had before - they're probably outstretching the attendances when I first joined the club. That fan base is here now, and if we can sell-out next season with 10,000 people every second week, that would be a fantastic home base here at Scotstoun."