George Horne has one ongoing superstition. No matter what the occasion, he’s always out of the changing room and onto the field last.
‘People think it’s because I’m doing my hair,’ he tells me. ‘It’s really not!
‘I think I just copied my brother, Peter. He used to always come out last. So that’s something I do now. Always the last one out.’
Given his speed on a rugby pitch, the irony is not lost. The Dundee-born scrum-half is as nippy as they come. Always keen to get in amongst it. Prolific over the line. As Glasgow Warriors’ all-time leading try-scorer, he’s an undeniable force.
Now, with an 1872 Cup to retain, the 30-year old is positively champing at the bit to take on the Murrayfield masses and put on an improved performance against their rivals this weekend.
The first leg may have brought a well-earned victory to Franco Smith’s men, but Horne is all too aware of the challenges his side will face when they travel to their Edinburgh counterparts. The Warriors prevailed with a 24-12 bonus point win, with the opposition’s attack struggling to make its mark.
George Horne roars with delight after Glasgow’s stunning Champions Cup defeat of Toulouse
Glasgow star Horne pulls an Edinburgh opponent away after another Warriors try last week
Horne admits he looks up to French genius Antoine Dupont, who he got the better of recently
‘We’re obviously really happy to get the win and get five points for the league,’ says Horne. ‘That was huge.
‘I think many aspects of our performance were really positive. We controlled the territory and possession in that first half really well. What was disappointing was we just didn’t come away with as many points as we probably should have or would have liked.
‘We have a bit of work to do in our finish zone attack but, otherwise, the physical effort from the big boys up front and the whole 23 was great. We take a lot of encouragement heading into the second leg.’
Clearly, Glasgow can head into this second leg with a modicum of confidence. Recent wins against Sale and Toulouse have only strengthened their resolve. Horne, however, is all too aware of the vagaries of these Murrayfield encounters.
For two consecutive years, Glasgow have been defeated in the second leg of the legendary head-to-head, but have come home victorious thanks to aggregate victories. This time, Horne is hoping to help revitalise their fortunes, with improvement the key message for the match ahead.
‘It’s a huge motivator,’ he admits. ‘We want to win every time we go out onto the field. And the last couple of games away from home have been disappointing from a result and a performance point of view.
‘What really hurts is the fact that they’ve probably been hungrier for that result in the second game. We pride ourselves on our emotional drive and our mentality going into games, and we’ve got to be hungry and give 100 per cent.
‘We’ll definitely be going into this year looking to improve on our performance and try to come out on the right side of the scoreboard.’
Horne is fed the ball by Stafford McDowall as Glasgow attack their derby rivals at Hampden
The search for constant improvement is an important mantra. It’s a theme drummed into them by their head coach, and a belief Horne has carried from his early days as a player at the Howe of Fife. Playing there, he says, was ‘hugely pivotal’.
Alongside pals from Castlehill Primary school, he started his career as the ‘little kid in the boiler suit sprinting around trying to tackle the boys who were six years older’.
Through the Scotland age grades, Horne progressed rapidly, but with his speed and agility on the ball, it’s perhaps no surprise that it was in Sevens where he really made his mark — entering the fray for Scotland in 2016 at the Dubai Sevens.
Eighteen tries in seven events on the circuit between 2016 and 2018 soon followed, with a place on Team Scotland’s Commonwealth Games squad for the Gold Coast. Horne laughs when I ask him if it’s too late to make a resurrection. It does feel pertinent, given sevens are ‘under consideration’ for India in 2030. Would he, could he, do it again?
‘I love my time playing sevens,’ the player maintains. ‘I’m so chuffed it’s back within Scottish Rugby in their new programme. It’s great for the young boys that are coming through and to be contracted will give them a great chance to get themselves out on a global stage and play in some of the best places in the world.
‘If I was to get the chance to play again I would definitely be up for it. I don’t know if I’d still be picked, to be fair, with some of the athletes that are coming through, but it was something I really enjoyed doing.
‘I’ve got a lot of fond memories playing sevens. I wouldn’t be against having another run out in the future.’
Certainly, if last year’s Olympics were anything to go by, Sevens would be a popular addition to the Games in India. Who could forget France’s Antoine Dupont, for example, running riot on the pitch as he helped his side seal their first ever gold in this event in Paris last summer?
Since then, Dupont has not had his troubles to seek, sidelined for months with a serious knee injury before making a dramatic return to action against Warriors as Glasgow ran out 28-21 against Toulouse. The French scrum-half, Horne admits, is a constant inspiration.
Horne admits Dupont sets the standard and is someone he tries to base his game around
‘He’s unbelievable. He’s kind of got everything to his game,’ says Horne. ‘It’s annoying to watch because he can pass, he can kick the ball about 70-80 metres, he can break tackles, he makes all these line breaks and gets on the end of stuff.
‘He’s been great for the game in terms of putting a bit of a spotlight on rugby. His ability is just amazing and his temperament as well. He’s the kind of a guy that stays under the radar. He doesn’t get too high and he doesn’t get too low. He’s very level-headed and it’s something that certainly I can learn from.
‘I try and keep it level-headed but I can get a little bit excited here and there. He’s a bit of a benchmark for scrum-halves and for players in general.
‘As a professional, I certainly look up to him and try and learn from him. I watch a lot of the Toulouse games and I’m obviously very close with Blair Kinghorn and try to support him as well when he’s playing for Toulouse, so you end up seeing quite a lot of their games.
‘Dupont can do everything. I’ll never have the physical capabilities that he has sadly, but you’re always looking at him, trying to pick up things and add it to your game. It was great to see him back fit playing at Scotstoun, but also nice to get the win against him because I don’t think they lose very often when he plays.’
Dupont is likely to be one of the key danger men for Scotland when they host France again in next year’s Six Nations. Whether Horne starts for the national side, however, is another matter altogether. Horne says he tries not to ‘really think about that’. but focuses instead on trying to become a ‘better player for Glasgow’.
‘Obviously we would all want that,’ he says. ‘And I’m definitely trying to earn a spot in there. I’ve been around long enough though to know that wanting something doesn’t necessarily make it happen. You’ve got to go out there and make it happen yourself. That comes from my standards in training and games. I’ll let the coaches take care of the rest.’
Horne celebrates a Scotland try against Tonga with Duhan van der Merwe earlier this year
It’s a sensible philosophy. Horne has learned to control the controllables; helped, in part, by his role as patron of Cancer Card, a charity based in Edinburgh. He has seen first-hand the importance of time for those who have little to no life left. The need for values and appreciation, no matter what the scenario.
‘Cancer has not been in my close family recently, but it was in my father’s side when I was very young,’ says Horne. ‘I’ve known a lot of other families or friends that have been affected by it.
‘It’s a tough one to speak about, because obviously it makes you realise how lucky you are when you have your health and when you’re not affected by cancer. However, it’s also so inspiring.
‘Jen Hardy, who started the charity, has not been well now with cancer for a long time and she just seems to be always on the go. She’s in Parliament speaking up for Cancer Card or visiting hospitals or organising key events. She’s honestly one of the best human beings I think I’ve ever met. Although she’s suffered a lot, she’s always got a smile on her face and she’s always there to have a coffee with or whatever.
‘Little things like that just make you realise that there’s more to life than rugby, getting nervous or thinking that your whole world revolves around the sport. There’s definitely a lot more to it than that. It definitely puts things into perspective.
‘You look at Sir Chris Hoy for instance and see what he is going through. He has been such a legend for Scotland and Scottish sport. Look at the amount of awareness he has already raised, using his platform. I hope in some way I can do the same. It is something that’s hugely inspiring.’
It’s a message that Horne will undoubtedly reflect upon as his side prepare to face their old foes at the home of Scottish Rugby.
Horne is a patron of cancer charity Cancer Card and insists it helps him keep perspective
‘I’m sure Edinburgh will try and look to hold on to the ball a bit more than they did the weekend,’ he adds. ‘We know the threats they have in their back line. The back three they have, the amount of talent and game-breaking ability they’ve got across the back line and their forward pack as well. There are a lot of dangerous players.
‘Our defence did a pretty good job of containing them at the weekend, but we know we’ll have to go a step up because they’ll be firing, especially on that home pitch, in front of a big crowd in Edinburgh. We’re probably expecting them to play a bit more and it’s something we’ll have to be ready to adapt to and try to stop.
‘Both teams, I’m sure, are desperate to win. It’s a game you probably get a little bit more nervous for than other games, just because you’re so desperate to try and win and beat the guys that you’re competing with, whether at national level or just because you know them.
‘They mean a lot. We’re going to try and retain this 1872 Cup, but there’s no doubt that we’re also looking to get that all important victory.’
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors, tomorrow, Murrayfield, 3pm. Glasgow lead 24-12 from last week’s first leg at Hampden.