Noise at Franklin Gardens hits the right notes for Rob Horne

By Neale Harvey
Rob Horne says it took something special to turn his back on Australia for a new life in Northampton.
Powerful centre Horne has been capped 34 times by the Wallabies and was an integral part of their last two World Cup campaigns.
But his move to England means he will miss Japan 2019 unless Australia forgo their ‘60-cap’ rule governing overseas players.
Horne, 28, told TRP: “Coming here was definitely the hardest decision in my rugby career and I knew the consequences with Australia and the World Cup, but I felt a connection with Saints pretty early on in our talks and wanted to be part of it.
“That was important to me because I need to care about what I’m doing, who I’m playing for and what I’m wearing. There’s so much history here, pride and passion, and they’ve had some recent success and are hungry for more, so that was a big attraction.
“I spoke to guys I played with at the Waratahs like Dean Mumm and Dave Dennis, below, at Exeter about their experiences in England and it’s all positive. It’s nice to see fellow Aussies play well and fly the flag, so I’m aiming to follow and I’m enjoying it.”
Horne became an instant hit at Franklin’s Gardens by starring on debut in the victory over Leicester, then following up in last week’s 24-6 win over Bath – results that put Northampton’s season on track after the shock of an opening day hammering by Saracens.
Horne said: “Saracens showed us the benchmark of the competition early on but we responded well – and what better way to make my debut than in the derby? I loved every minute of that game against Leicester and it’s such an amazing atmosphere at the Gardens.
“I’m really looking forward to playing at the Gloucesters, Baths and Leicesters – other grounds where the fans are close and there’s lots of singing and chanting.”
Horne’s move to England means he has escaped the maelstrom surrounding Australian rugby, where a dismal Super Rugby season ended with the demise of the Western Force amid bitter recriminations, both internally and throughout the wider public.
While saddened by recent events, Horne believes positivity will eventually emerge.
“All the backroom stuff doesn’t help and when the fans become as disillusioned as they have been, it creates a difficult situation that hurts Australian rugby,” he added.
“However, the fact of the matter is we’re still a pretty good rugby playing nation and I have absolute faith in the Australian game because of the talent that’s still there and the knowledge and experience there is within coaching.
“There’s a lot of passion for rugby and for a nation that has a relatively low participation rate compared with other sports, we punch above our weight.
“At the moment it
doesn’t look good, but if the national team can continue on the upward form they’ve shown recently, that will go a long way to altering perceptions and we can build again.”