YOU could say the Glasgow Warriors are on cloud nine at the moment with nine wins from nine Guinness PRO14 matches, writes Nick Rodger. The Scotstoun side are so far ahead at the summit they are just about shrouded in a light mist.
With the Scotland national team currently riding the crest of a wave too, following last weekend’s record thumping of the Australians, there is a tangible feel good factor coursing through the game here at the moment. That little tingle you’re getting is not down to poor circulation. It’s the sensation of optimism and positivity.
The good vibrations would have the Beach Boys asking for royalties and for Jonathan Humphreys, the assistant coach of the Warriors, it’s a period to savour.
“For me, the whole buzz around Scottish rugby is amazing,” he said. “I’ll take you back to four years ago and you’d never dream that it would be like this. The more successful the national team is, the more successful Glasgow is. The more successful Glasgow is – and Edinburgh – the more successful the national team is. The feeding off each other is brilliant.”
With 14 players on international duty and another 10 on the casualty list, the Warriors still went down to Wales and clipped the wings of the Ospreys on Sunday with a rampaging 47-6 victory. This week, they are looking to give Cardiff Blues, well, the blues as Glasgow aim for a perfect 10 on the PRO14 front.
The current buoyancy in the ranks was perhaps best illustrated by Ruaridh Jackson, who was an unused substitute for Scotland on Saturday and hot-footed it down to Swansea to aid the Warriors’ cause the following day.
“It’s awesome and he’s been unbelievable for us,” added Humphreys. “He’s played a lot of rugby for Glasgow before now, but it says a lot about him and the environment that he wants to come back and play.
“We’re delighted, and it didn’t go unnoticed that he could have been up there celebrating [with Scotland] but he wanted to come down and help us out, because we were really thin in that area.
“We were obviously very, very pleased with that win. A few of the boys hadn’t played at all, and we went down there and they acquitted themselves very well.
“It’s what we talked about right at the very start, that any success we get in this league will be going down to the likes of the Ospreys when the internationals are on and during the Six Nations. We’re delighted not just with the win, but with the attitude of the boys down there.”
One player to seize his opportunity with both hands is George Horne, the 22-year-old scrum-half who continues to grow in stature while learning with experience.
“Dave [Rennie] talks about young guys being able to step up and make the jersey their own, so taking a young team down to a place like the Ospreys and winning so handsomely was just testament to the work that everyone is doing at the club,” said Horne, who has scored five tries in three outings.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn, I know that. My game-management still needs to improve. I like to play at a high tempo, but there are also times when the nine and ten need to be smart and work the team up the field. I can definitely work on that and control the forward pack.”
With his older brother, Peter, shining on the international stage, Horne has plenty of motivation to keep improving. It’s not so much sibling rivalry, though, more brotherly love.
“We are each other’s biggest fan and we always want to see each other do well,” added Horne. “The fact that Peter is playing well just now, is brilliant. It’s great to have that to look up to. We just spur each other on.”
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