Double delight as Horne agrees new deal and returns from injury
Decision a ‘no brainer’ says Glasgow back
DEMONSTRATING perfect timing, Peter Horne has handed Glasgow Warriors a double boost by agreeing a new three-year deal on the day he confirmed he was returning to action 10 weeks after damaging his ankle.
It is a remarkable recovery from the player, whose original prognosis had been for a 12 to 16-week recovery time. But with Glasgow’s Guinness PRO12 season in danger of ending with a whimper, it could not have come at a better time for Gregor Townsend, his head coach.
For Horne, it means he is probably a bit too late to be considered for next week’s Scotland game against Wales, but he has three possible club matches to play his way into the squad to face England in early March.
Townsend was clearly delighted to have such a key player back in his team, particularly since this afternoon’s match in Belfast looks as though it could be the making or breaking of the club’s play-off ambitions.
With eight games left, the top three are 10 points or more ahead – and Glasgow have to visit all of them – putting the Scots in a three-way battle for fourth place with the Scarlets, who won at Scotstoun last week, and Ulster, who would overtake them if they win today and also have a match in hand, against Zebre.
“It has put a bit more pressure on us but it’s down to us,” admitted Horne. “With a lot of the Scotland boys away, we can’t make excuses. We really need to step up. We reckon we’re going to need at least six wins out of our last eight games to get that top four. So, if we could get a good result that would certainly do us a favour.”
He had not really explored the options of moving away from Glasgow when his contract came up for renewal: “It was a no-brainer,” he said. “When Gregor [Townsend] was leaving, there was a bit of uncertainty but as soon as they said Dave [Rennie] was coming in and we chatted with him, it got me really excited.
“It’s something that is really exciting. Dave plays a great brand of rugby with the Chiefs. He’ll fit right in over here.”
After the disappointments of last week, Townsend has had to tinker with his side with a few of the players involved also picking up injuries. Horne is joined in the back division by Mark Bennett, four days after announcing he was moving to Edinburgh next season, and there is a newcomer at full-back.
Brandon Thomson had been signed on a short-term deal from the Stormers in South Africa to play fly-half but, with Horne back in action while Peter Murchie was among those on the injured list, he has been given his debut at full-back instead.
“He has fitted in really well,” said Townsend. “There is an opportunity for him now. ”
L Ludik; T Bowe, L Marshall, D Cave, C Gilroy; P Nelson, R Pienaar; C Black, J Andrew, R Lutton, P Browne, F van der Merwe, S Reidy, C Henry (C), M Coetzee. R Herring, A Warwick, W Herbst, K Treadwell, R Diack, P Marshall, J Stockdale, J Owens.
B Thomson; L Jones, M Bennett, N Grigg, S Lamont; P Horne, H Pyrgos; A Allan, J Malcolm, S Puafisi, B Alainu’uese, S Cummings, R Harley, S Favaro, A Ashe.
C Flynn, J Bhatti, D Rae, T Uanivi, L Wynne, G Hart, R Vernon, R Hughes.
Ulster Glasgow Warriors Replacements Replacements