It has been an example of how quickly things can happen in professional rugby for those physically and mentally sharp enough to grab their opportunities, but few can ever hope to fit that description in the way George Horne has this season.
As it began he was not only behind the current Scotland first choice scrum-half in the Glasgow Warriors pecking order, but had his way to the bench barred by a player who had captained the national team in a Test match just a couple of years ago.
By its end he had made his own way into the national squad having added both the club’s player of the year and young player of the year to two previous player of the month awards and thrown in a trip Down Under to represent his country at the Commonwealth Games in between times, Kiwi head coach Dave Rennie having almost immediately identified his talent on arriving in Glasgow.
As Horne commented, when gently pointing out that this is not really the time for reflection with much still to be done this season: “I’ve played a lot more than I would have thought, so it was a massive, massive honour to be voted player of the year. I’m just looking forward to this next couple of weeks now.”
First that entails Friday’s bid against the reigning champion Scarlets at Scotstoun to reach the Pro14 final and whether or not Horne is preferred for that to either or both of the more experienced Ali Price and Henry Pyrgos, indeed even whether or not they make it through, the opportunities just keep on coming.
That initial call up to the Scotland squad for the last two matches of the Six Nations Championship may, after all, have been little more than exposure to the environment, but with Greig Laidlaw among the senior men being left behind, inclusion in this summer’s tour of the Americas carries the promise of a different order of involvement and the lad who turned 23 on Saturday, knows it, observing that: “It’s something you dream of as a kid, getting selected for Scotland. I’ve not played yet, so I’ll just train as hard as I can when we get out there and hopefully get a chance.”
It arrives at a telling time with Richard Cockerill, Edinburgh’s head coach, having openly admitted to eyeing Glasgow’s trio of scrum-halves enviously and, when doing so, made the point that Horne had a previous involvement in the capital.
Had he said so at the point, early in the year, that it first emerged that Scarlets-bound Sam Hidalgo-Clyne was departing Murrayfield, his best chance of prising one of them away from his rivals might well have been the least experienced.
Now, though, Horne seems central to Glasgow’s planning, to the extent that it would be a surprise if a player who has found his way into the top three in the Pro14 try-scoring charts on the back of a dozen appearances is not in Friday’s starting line-up at what he now regards as his rugby home, playing alongside big brother Peter.
“I always grew up watching Glasgow and supporting Glasgow with Pete playing for them and I love it here,” he said. “We’ve got a great environment, a real family atmosphere and Dave and his coaches have come in and done a great job. I’m just loving my rugby at the moment and it’s where I want to stay.”
If not this weekend then next season, when Scotland stand off Finn Russell has departed, he is likely to be doing that in half-back partnership with his sibling, a prospect Horne relishes.
“It would be great. We did it for the first time against Leinster and it was a massive day for us and the family, something we’ll look back on with fond memories. Playing with your brother is a massive experience and a lot of fun. I’ve grown up following him so the chance of playing together is so much fun,” he said.
“I spend a lot of time with him and we go through games together and speak a lot about our game. It’s great because he’s a senior member of the squad now and he’s always someone you can rely on to keep you on the straight and narrow, so I love talking to Pete. I think we know each other’s games inside-out. We’ve watched each other play a lot so know what each other likes to do and it is helpful just being able to speak openly with each other. We’ve grown up being able to say what we feel and I know Pete will always take it on the chin, even though I am younger, so that’s a massive part of a relationship with nine and 10.”
Whatever he opts to do this weekend, then, coach Rennie seems likely to be placing on-field decision-making in Horned hands sooner rather than later, then, while off the field, the decision on the future of the youngest of his first team squad scrum-halves has surely already been made.
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