Horne happy to deliver knockout blow against old sparring partner
Friendship with Edinburgh counterpart will be put to one side ahead of derby clash
GLASGOW WARRIORS scrum- half George Horne enjoyed catching up with his old pal and Edinburgh counterpart Ben Vellacott during yesterday’s photocall at Stirling Castle to promote tomorrow night’s 1872 Cup clash – but he made it clear that there will be no quarter asked nor given when the live ammunition starts flying.
“There were a couple of shots when we had to stare at each other, so it was a bit like the boxing headtohead – in the light featherweight division!” he joked, referencing the fact that he and Vellacott will be the two smallest players on the pitch tomorrow night. “We used to play together when we were younger, so we just had a very friendly conversation.
“I played 10 and he played nine in our first year of Scotland Under- 20s, then he picked up an injury so I moved to nine and we both battled for the jersey at that year’s Junior World Cup.
“He’s electric around the base so that’s definitely something we will have to be mindful of.
“With the way we now defend, the scrum- half is out on the edge, so it’s not something that will be as important for me, but the big men around the ruck will definitely have to be switched on.”
These matches tend to be gritty and sometime explosive affairs, with local bragging rights, valuable league points, a piece of silverware and often a chance to lay down a marker for international selection ahead of the upcoming Six Nations, all up for grabs.
Despite his diminutive stature, the 5ft 9ins Horne is never far from the epicentre when tempers start to flare, but he believes that he can best serve his team this weekend by helping make sure Warriors do not get distracted from the primary task of playing better rugby than the opposition.
“Everyone always talks about the famous brawl between Chris Fusaro and Scott MacLeod in the 1872 Cup about 10 years ago. That was before my time, but I do remember it with Edinburgh wearing those horrible bright coloured jerseys,” Horne recalled. “Hopefully it doesn’t spill into anything like that this weekend, but it will definitely be physical and confrontational.
“Rugby is more physical than it has ever been, but there is obviously a lot less foul and dirty play – illegal clear- outs, stamping, punches and so
on – which I think is a good thing. However, there is still plenty of sledging that goes on, and there is probably more of that in these sorts of games because the guys all know each other and are desperate not to lose face.
“So, sometimes in the heat of the moment you get stuck in, but I’m going to try to stay focused on the game and not worry too much about the sledging.”
Part of the reason Horne is so keen to focus on his game rather than external distractions relates to how comfortable he is with his own and his team’s form at the moment after a couple of turbulent seasons.
Warriors are an unimpressive ninth in the URC table but have won their last three games on the bounce in the URC and Challenge Cup ( all away from home), while Horne’s six starts and one bench appearance from 10 games played in this campaign means he is on track for his most active season since debuting for Warriors in November 2016.
“Getting a decent run of matches at the start of the season has been brilliant,” concurred the 27- yearold. “We’ve obviously changed the game- plan a fair bit which has suited my style of play, and the boys are really enjoying what Franco [ Smith] has been doing since he came in as head coach during the summer.
“I’m sure if you ask anyone, they want to be starting for their club and then for Scotland. It was a frustrating Autumn in a sense because I felt I went into it in a decent place but didn’t get too much game- time – but I’m still hungry to play for Scotland as much as I can, so, hopefully, I can keep playing well for Glasgow and that will come with it.
“From a Glasgow perspective, it was nice to get those results away from home the last few weeks, which is something we’ve struggled to do the last 18 months or so. Bath and Zebre were probably not the prettiest performances, but it is winning a different way, so we’ll take that.
“Hopefully now we’ve got to a position where we can perform consistently regardless of whether it is home or away.”